Blue Sun Rising
by Jinxed-Wood
Summary: A Firefly and Highlander crossover Methos needs to get off the planet quickly, which is a funny coincidence because so does Serenity...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Firefly and HIghlander, aren't mine, they belong to Joss Whedon and Panzer/Davis...pass the tissues**

Methos watched grimly as the Alliance troops marched across the space docks, ignoring the quiet panic that shivered through the milling crowd. "_It's official. The 'verse has gone to hell," _he thought, taking a step back as the squad neared.

Ignoring the dirty looks as he elbowed his way through the crowd, Methos headed towards the hull he could see in the distance. There had been way too many Alliance soldiers on Persephone lately, _way_ too many. Maybe the rumours were true after all…

Methos grimaced. It had been two months since the Miranda tape had aired and the dust still hadn't settled. Personally, the only thing he found surprising about the whole incident was that people were actually…well…_surprised…_

But the Alliance weren't his biggest problem at the moment; that singular honour went to Cameron Wright, a man who just didn't know when to quit. He'd been nursing a grudge since their time on the _Enright, _and he intended to collect.

Methos sighed. It had been over two centuries since he'd dwelled on the hellish years on the generational ships; over a century of cramped quarters and irritable tempers. Not many immortals risked the voyage, fewer than forty, but Methos had thought it worth running the risk of being found out. The prospect of a brand new life with only two score immortals to worry about, rather the hundreds that roamed the Earth, was too good to let pass.

It's a pity that one of those immortals happened to be Cam.

Squinting against the sun, Methos let his bags drop to the ground with a thump as he reached his destination, and tried to make out the name over the hanger door. "_The Aces and Eights…hmm, looks a bit dubious but beggars can't be choosers, and the ship looks sound". _Methos rolled his aching shoulders, and grimaced as he felt the sword harness dig into his back.

Damn it, why did Cameron have to pick _this _planet to resettle on? It was so damned inconvenient. And rumours of a rampaging fleet of reavers didn't help either; passage off the planet was a lot harder to come by.

He eyed the gaping carrier doors. Unlike the other ships, they didn't have a crier outside looking for trade, but that didn't mean they weren't taking passengers. And he needed to get of this goram planet quickly—

"That's a bad idea."

Startled, Methos spun on his feet, flinching as the spoke of a parasol nearly took his eye out. "Don't you know it's bad manners to sneak up on a person like that?" he said, irritably.

The parasol tilted up, revealing a merry smile in a young face. "Sneaking? Who was sneaking? I was just taking a stroll and enjoying the fresh air."

Methos eyed the packed docks sweltering under the oppressive sun and gave her a dubious look. "If you say so," he said, as he began to gather up his bags. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a berth to book." 

"Oh, you don't want to travel with them,"

"Oh, I don't do I?" Methos drawled, eying the girl as he threw a satchel over his shoulder. "And why is that?"

"Trust me; you don't want to put your life in that engine's hand." 

"Optimistic little thing, aren't you," Methos said dryly.

"Yes, actually," she said, complacently ignoring his sarcastic tone. "But I also happen to be a damned good mechanic and _that _engine class runs on a mark eight fusion valve. It's showy. I grant you, but unreliable as heck; one moment, you're chugging along, not a care in the world; the next, bam, you're dead in space with six hours of air left and not a planet in sight." 

"I see, and I suppose you have a better option," Methos drawled, recognising a pitch when he heard one.

"As a matter of fact I do," she said cheerfully. "Isn't she a beaut?" 

Puzzled, Methos followed the direction of her pointed finger. What was she talking about? All he could see was a clapped out old- 

He choked out a laughed. "That," he spluttered. "You're suggesting I should put my life in the hands of that wreck of a Firefly? You must be kidding me."

"Hey! I'll have you know that Serenity has the smoothest engine between here and the core"

Methos eyebrows rose. "My apologies," he said, giving her what he hoped was a conciliatory smile. "I didn't mean to offend your ship'."

The girl's head tilted as she eyed him. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"What gave it away?" he said dryly.

"Everything," she said, grinning cheekily. "Apology accepted. I know the old gal doesn't look like much from the outside. But Serenity's engine is as perfect as can be. Purrs like a kitten and as solid as a rock." 

"Well, you're the mechanic," Methos said, diplomatically.

"I'm Kaylee."

Methos eyed the diminutive girl. "Alex," he supplied, reluctantly.

"How'ya doing Alex," she said, impishly. "What's your destination? Our flight plans are very extensive. Santo, Athens, Whitefall, Newhall, Beylix…what's your pleasure?"

"_Well, that explains why she's so desperate to get passengers while every other ship is full to the brim," _he thought, bemusedly. With rumours of a reaver armada attacking the core fleet, nobody in their right mind wanted to go further out into the border planets. The favourite destinations were the core planets. The more core, the better. 

Well, everyone except Kaylee and her shipmates, apparently. 

He sighed. "Sorry, Kaylee, I don't think- "A hollow slam caught his attention, and his heart dropped as he turned to see that the _Aces and Eights _hanger doors were now shut. A low, hollow hum filled the air, and Kaylee tugged on his sleeve. "Better step back," she said. "That engine makes one hell of a messy take off."

Sand swirled through the air, and Methos hastily narrowed his eyes and grabbed the rest of his luggage. "Damn it, damn it," he muttered disgustedly under his breath.

"Hey, don't worry," Kaylee yelled over the howl of the engine. "There's still plenty of room on Serenity."

"Yeah, I'll just bet there is," Methos grumbled under his breath as he ran through his options. He still hadn't checked out all the ships at the east side of the docks. Maybe he'd get lucky.

A familiar shiver ran up his spine and Methos groaned under his breath. "Something wrong?"

Methos looked down into Kaylee's expectant face. Somebody out there really hated him. Plastering on a smile, he tilted his head towards the Firefly, which looked even worse under closer examination. "You might as well lead the way," he murmured, trying to keep his face smooth as the other immortal's presence got closer and closer.

"Really?" she squeaked, before recovering. "Great! Right this way." Kaylee beamed as she snatched one of his bags from his hands and skipped through the crowds. Methos wondered briefly what medication she was on; nobody was naturally that cheerful.

Scowling, he tried to keep up with her, but whatever magic she performed to ease her way through the crowd didn't seem to work for him. He determinedly pushed his way towards the Firefly, breathing a sigh of relief as he eventually made it to its cargo bay doors.

"What took you so long," Kaylee asked, as he joined her on the ramp.

Methos threw her a dirty look and immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt on her face. "Sorry, he muttered. "It's been a long day."

"Who, the heck, is he?"

A long shadow suddenly appeared on the ramp, and Methos looked up to see a hulking brute chewing on a cigar and fondling a well-oiled shotgun. He would have looked intimidating, if it weren't for the fact that he was also wearing a very fetching woolly hat.

"Alex, this is Jayne," Kaylee said. "Jayne, this is Alex, our passenger."

"A passenger? " The brute snorted. "Oh, great, Mal is going to _love _this."

"Yes, he is, isn't he?" Kaylee said, seemingly unaware of derision in her shipmate's voice. Methos wondered if it was real or intentional.

With a grunt, the woolly-hatted brute disappeared up the ramp and Kaylee grabbed Methos by the arm. "Come on, I'll show you to your room," she said as she dragged him into the loading bay.

Methos paused at the entrance, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. The bay was no different from any other Firefly, although the tire hanging from the ceiling was not exactly regulation issue…and neither was the teenager hanging from it by her ankles.

"That's River," Kaylee said.

"Hi," the girl said, waving. Methos was struck by a brief sense of vertigo as the girl suddenly let go and landed on her feet.

"Nice dismount," Methos muttered, not sure of what else to say.

The girl shrugged gracefully as she approached them. "Gravity is an illusion that all must follow, even me," she said, gravely, as she came to halt in front of them. "Although time is another matter…you're giving me a headache."

"Excuse me?" Methos said, taken aback.

"You're giving me a headache," she repeated slowly.

"Um, sorry?"

Large, old eyes suddenly held his, and Methos was suddenly struck by a sense of unease that outstripped even the shuddering presence of another immortal. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure," she said, her voice eerily calm. The pressure eased and Methos took a step back, resisting the urge to clutch at his head. "He'll do," River said, glancing at Kaylee.

"Okaaay then," Kaylee said, her cheerfulness suddenly sounding forced. Methos heard a snigger and looked up. A smirk covered Jayne's face as leaned against the rails of the walkway above.

"What just happened there?" Methos said lowly, his eyes dropping to River as she slowly danced across the cargo bay.

"She means well," Kaylee said softly.

"That isn't an answer—"

Running footsteps hit the ramp, and Methos swiftly took a side step as a tall angular man charged through the open doorway

"Jayne, We're leaving," he roared out. "Is everyone on board?"

"Everyone except Zoe," Jayne confirmed from above. Methos heard the sound of a safety catch and groaned. What the hell had he walked into? 

"She's right behind me," the new arrival said briskly as he took a pistol out of his holster and automatically checked the chamber.

"Hey Captain, what the rush?" Kaylee chirped up. Methos's heart sank even further. _This_ was the Captain? 

"No time, just get to the engine—" The Captain stopped in his tracks, his eyes suddenly falling on Methos. "Who is _this_?" 

"Who? Him? This is Alex—"

"Our _passenger_!" Jayne interrupted gleefully as he descended the steps, two at the time.

"He gave me a headache," River piped up, smiling. 

"Our _what_?"

"Our Passenger?" Kaylee said, uncertainly, her grin faltering under his incredulous gaze 

"_Da xiang bao zha shi de la du zi. _Have you gone mad? What were you thinking? Get him off my goram ship, _now_!" 

The ramp rattled once more, and a tall, lithe woman darted into the cargo bay "Captain, we've got company," she said coolly, her serious eyes halting on Methos. He resisted the urge to straighten up as she arched an eyebrow. ""We've got company outside," she amended.

The Captain snarled with frustration. "_Chui niu! _Kaylee," he barked. "Get the engine going – _now! _"

"Right away, Captain," Methos watched silently as Kaylee abandoned his side and sprinted towards the stairs.

"River—"

"Get us in the air," she said, finishing his sentence as she bounced gracefully to her feet.

"Wait a minute," Methos said, realisation dawning, "_She's _our pilot?"

The Captain's gaze fell on him. "Correction, she's _my _pilot," he said, flatly. "You, my friend, will have to get your own. Jayne, show this gentlemen out."

"Now wait a minute," Methos said. "Like it or not, I'm your passenger, and there's no way—" A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and Methos glared at Jaynes's grinning face. "Nice hat," he bit out.

Jayne's grin grew wider, "Thanks, my mum made it for me." His grip tightened like a vice and Methos suppressed a wince.

"I'm not going anywhere," he protested. "I made an agreement with your mechanic."

"Oh yes you are," he drawled.

"Oh no he isn't," a quiet voice interrupted. "They're here." 

Methos silently watched the woman he presumed was Zoe exchange a significant look with the Captain. Briefly, he wondered if they were lovers, and was surprised at the sudden pang of disappointment he felt.

The Captain nodded. "Oh no he isn't," he echoed grimly as Zoe positioned herself by the door and raised her rifle.

"Hit the deck," she said. 

Recognising a serious suggestion when he heard it, Methos threw himself to the ground, cursing as a shower of bullets whizzed over his head and bounced off the walls.

"Jayne, close those goram doors. We'll cover you!" The Captain hollered, rolling onto his feet as he produced a pistol. "Zoe, take the left."

"Sir," she murmured, firing out through the hanger doors.

"Who's firing at us?" Methos yelled over the din.

"The Alliance," Jayne said, scornfully, as he slammed his hand on the hanger door's button. "Who else?"

Who else? Were these people crazy? Methos eyed the narrowing gap and wondered if he could make a run for it. Another hail of bullets bounced off the doors and cargo bay and he reluctantly decided against it. Multiple gun shot wounds was not a nice way to die.

The bay doors weren't fully closed when he felt the engines spring to life and Methos swallowed nervously as he looked for something to hold onto. Unfortunately, he was several feet from the bulkhead and bullets still zipped through the gap in the doors.

This was going to be messy.

Suddenly, the floor angled upwards, and Methos felt himself slide across the floor as the Firefly lifted. Desperately, he snatched at a pole as he slid by and grunted as he caught hold, wincing as one of his suitcases hit him on the shoulders.

"Hold on," the Captain hollered, belatedly. "This is going to be bumpy."

With a clunk, the doors shut, and the Firefly tilted further. Methos closed his eyes as he felt the engine accelerate. "_Breaking orbit at full speed while clinging to a pole…lovely," _

The pressure became intense, and Methos fervently hoped that engine was as good as Kaylee had said. Engines have been known to fail when trying to perform this kind of manoeuvre and the freefalling back to earth in this hunk of junk wasn't on his list of fun to things to do. Maybe he should have taken his chances with the Alliance guns.

A hollow boom shuddered through the hull, and Methos's eyes flashed open. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that someone was firing at them.

"They're firing on us."

Methos followed the direction of the voice and spotted Zoe, hanging onto a handle attached to the hull.

"I _know_," the Captain said, from a few feet to her left." Don't worry, she can handle it."

"I don't know, Captain, she's good, but she's not…" her words trailed off, pain flashing across her face.

The expression on the Captain's face spoke volumes, and Methos found himself wondering what their story was. "_Oh no you don't, old man, _" he mentally slapped himself. "_You have enough problems of your own. Don't get involved_."

Another boom echoed through the hull, and Methos felt the Firefly's trajectory alter. This was it; he's going to die. Not even an immortal can survive being blown into little tiny pieces.

The pressure eased abruptly, and Methos felt himself float for a moment before the AG kicked in. "Well, what do you know, I'm still alive," he said, aloud.

"I wouldn't feel too relieved yet," Jayne said, grimly. "We still have an Alliance ship on our tails."

"You've got weaponry?"

Jayne threw him a withering look. "What do _you _think?"

"That's a no then," Methos sighed. "Figures."

"Just be thankful you're alive," the Captain said as he made a beeline for the steps.

"For now," Methos muttered.

"Quit complainin'," Jayne snarled. "And make yourself useful. Got any skills?"

"You mean the kind of skills that will somehow help us evade an Alliance ship armed to the teeth?" A frown developed on Jayne's face, and Methos couldn't help but wonder if he was mentally repeating the sentence in his head. A glance at Zoe's amused face confirmed his suspicions.

"Yeah, that's it," Jayne eventually said. "Well, do you?"

"Sorry, no." 

"Well, you better have plenty of money, that's all I'll say. Welcome to Serenity."

"Thanks for the warm reception," Methos drawled. Another hollow boom skittered off the hull.

Zoe sighed "I better get to the bridge, show…"

"Alex," Methos supplied.

"Show Alex to his quarters, the room beside River's should do."

"Hey! How come you get to go to bridge, and I get to be babysitter?" 

"Because I'm the first mate, and you aren't," Zoe threw over her shoulder as she swiftly climbed the steps.

Muttering under his breath, Jayne poked Methos in the shoulder. "Get your bags and follow me," he said, not bothering to look back as he strode to the steps.

Methos looked at his luggage, which had scattered all over the cargo bay. "Welcome to Serenity," he muttered under his breath. "Hah!"

**TBC…**

Translation: Da xiang bao zha shi de la du zi - The explosive diarrhoea of an elephant


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The hull shuddered, nearly knocking Zoe off her feet as she stumbled onto the bridge. "How bad is it?" she asked.

"Bad" Mal said over his shoulder, his knuckles whitening ion the back of the pilot seat as another boom sounded. "We've got two on our tail."

Zoe blinked. "Two?" 

"Yup."

"What class?"

"Gunship." 

Zoe nodded, not as bad as she feared. Gunships were hardy, and in close quarters formidable, but they didn't have much speed. Serenity could out fly them. "We making a run for it?"

"We need to be sneaky…sssh," One leg curled up beneath her, the other on the floor, River swayed in sync with the ship, humming under her breath as she pushed the stick forward.

Zoe raised an eyebrow and looked at Mal. "Captain?"

"River seems to think that it would be a bad idea for the ships to get a heading on our trajectory," Mal said, his grip on the pilot chair betraying his nonchalant tone. "Apparently, the Alliance wants to hold us a surprise party."

"And?" Zoe prompted.

"And we're going to slingshot around the planet, drop a few locater beacons, and run away as fast as our engine can carry us."

Zoe took a deep breath, and then let it out. "Risky, especially as we've used that trick before."

"No choice," Mal said, grimly, grabbing the com. "Listen up, ladies and gents. We're gonna have to do some tricky manoeuvring, so strap yourself in tight and hold on for the ride."

The view in the window spun away and Zoe glanced at River, noting her frown of concentration. It was still strange to see someone other than Wash in the seat.

"Sorry," River murmured under her breath.

Zoe's lips tightened, realising that River had picked up her thoughts. "Not your fault," she said, quietly, as she strapped herself into one of the chairs. 

"What I'd like to know is how they found us so fast," Mal muttered, sliding into the seat beside her and buckling up. 

Another hollow thump echoed off the hull, and Zoe wiped her palms on her legs, Death by vacuum was never a pleasant prospect. 

"Anytime you're ready, River," Mal said, tightly.

Zoe tried to relax back in her chair as the acceleration increased, closing her eyes against Persephone's horizon, which suddenly seemed to be hurtling towards the view screen. She had seen Wash do this a few times, and trusted him to keep them alive and whole. But this was River, not Wash.

"Not him," River's voice piped up, out of the blue, causing Zoe to flinch.

"Not who?"

Opening an eye. Zoe caught the scathing look River threw Mal over her shoulder.

"Not the _operative,_ silly."

Mal's lips twisted. "Keep your eyes on the view screen, River, let me worry about that."

"No," River insisted. "It wasn't him."

"Who then?" Mal said, wearily, "Coz, I gotta say, I'm running out of suspects here." 

"Badger?" Zoe suggested." It wouldn't be the first time."

Mal snorted. "Badger and the Alliance getting cosy? Somehow I don't see it."

"It mightn't have been voluntary," Zoe pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Mal muttered, frowning. "No, I think we'd be barking up the wrong tree. It's someone else."

"Who, then?"

"Well, we do have a new passenger on board," Mal drawled.

"You think?"

Mal shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time an Alliance spy has pretended to be a passenger to get to …you know who." He tossed a head in Rivers direction.

"I don't know," Zoe said, doubtfully. "He didn't seem the type." 

"You think he's good people?" Mal enquired.

"Yes…no…" Zoe shrugged. "I don't know. I get a funny feeling off him." 

"Funny ha, ha?"

Zoe rolled her eyes. "I don't know, something just seems a bit off about him."

"So, you _do _think he's a spy."

"I didn't say that," Zoe said. "I just…oh, I don't know, I don't trust him, that's all." Mal threw her a funny look. "What? What did I say?" 

Their conversation was cut short as Serenity suddenly burst forward, tripling her speed as she hurtled around Persephone. "Bombs away," River said gleefully, stabbing at the airlock's button. A series of blips suddenly sprang up on the radar screen, as the rigged barrels set off in different directions.

"Let's hope it works," Mal sighed as he unbuckled. "How long before we reach Whitefall?"

"Three days." River piped up.

Mal nodded. "We need a plan," he said, stretching his legs.

"I'm not sure if we can come up with a plan to solve this, Mal," Zoe said, softly. "We're in pretty deep."

"They'll not stop," River said glumly. "They'll just keep coming and coming. Can't stop the signal."

Zoe studied River as she bent her head over the controls, she'd become a lot more lucid since Miranda, but she still had her moments. "What do you mean, River?" 

River gave a defensive shrug, not looking up from the controls, and Mal grimaced. "Time for a meeting, I think," he muttered.

"What about our passenger?"

Mal shrugged. "He's not invited."

River giggled. "He won't like that."

Zoe caught Mal's eye. "And why is that, River?" he asked, softly.

"The only secrets he likes to keep are his own."

"What secrets are those?" Mal asked, cautiously.

The reader's head shot up, her eyes suddenly sharp. "Old secrets. Not mine to tell."

"Aia," Mal grumbled, as he grabbed the com once more. "That's _all_ what we needed, another gorram mystery man on board."

Zoe's mind flitted back to the passenger's face, and wondered why she felt so uneasy in his presence. "Yes," she murmured, thoughtfully. "A real mystery." 

------------------------------------------------------------

"_Listen up, ladies and gents. We're gonna have to do some tricky manoeuvring, so strap yourself in tight and hold on for the ride."_

Methos's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as Jayne cursed and prodded him. "Hurry up, will ya, we haven't got all day."

"I kind of got that impression," Methos snapped, trying to hold onto his temper as he manoeuvred his bags through the narrow corridor. "I don't suppose you care to fill me in as to why the Alliance are trying to kill you?"

"None of your goram business," Jayne snarled as he dragged back a screen door. "Your bunk; pretty ain't it? See ya."

"Hey! Where are you going?" Methos called after him, as Jayne raced down the corridor.

"You heard what the Captain said. Time to strap in, "

"Yes, but…" Methos's voice trailed off as he examined his bunkroom. Where were the safety belts? "Why you _little_..." Cursing under his breath, he dropped his bags, and raced after him.

"You little shit," he snapped, catching up. "They're no goram safety belts in that room. I could've been _killed." _

"Woulda , coulda," Jayne muttered, as he heaved a door open. "Stop your bellyaching." 

Methos eyed the small room they'd entered, noting the shoddy looking safety seats bolted to the walls. "This is the best you have?"

"Sheeesh, do you ever stop whining? You're nearly as bad as the Doc."

A young man, busy buckling himself into one of the chairs, looked up. "Yes, Jayne, that's all I do, whine," he said, dryly. "It's a great pity we can't all be as stoic as you."

"What the hell does that mean?" Jayne said, suspiciously.

"Relax, Jayne, it's a compliment…sort of," a soft voice said, and Methos turned to see a stunning, perfectly coiffed, young woman enter.

"Oh, great, the whore has deigned to join us," Jayne grumbled. "The safety belts on your shuttle not to your likin'?"

"The 'whore' ignored him and smiled at Methos," I don't believe we've met," she said, softly.

"Alex Caruthers," Methos supplied, tugging at the strap attached to his chair. 

"Inara," she murmured. "And this is Simon." Simon raised a hand in greeting as he settled into his seat.

The clatter of boots on metal filled the air, and Kaylee suddenly flitted into the room, banging the heavy door behind her. "This is going to be bumpy," she said, breathlessly.

"Can the engine take it?" Simon asked, worry in his voice.

"Oh, don't worry baby," Kaylee said, her cheeks dimpling as she threw herself into the chair beside him. "Serenity is as tough as an ox."

"Yeah, it's the pilot you've gotta worry about," Jayne grumbled under his breath.

Simon stiffened in his chair and Kaylee frowned disapprovingly, grabbing Simon's hand. "River knows what she's doing, Jayne," she said.

"Yeah, you would say that," Jayne drawled. "Don't wanna upset her brother, do you? He might throw you out of his bed."

Simon's lip flattened into a thin line. "What's the matter, Jayne?" he snapped. "Jealous?" 

"Oh, please, as if—"

"Stop it," Kaylee interrupted, her face going pink. "Just _stop_ it, okay. 

Methos sighed, that's all he needed, his own personal space opera.

"Please excuse my shipmates, Mister Caruthers," Inara murmured. "They tend to be a bit…abrupt, when under stress."

Methos nodded wryly, watching as she placed her hands discreetly on her lap. He suspected that Serenity's 'whore' was, in fact, a companion; there was a grace and eloquence to her manner that spoke of years of training. The question was, what the hell was a companion doing on the border planets in a ship on the run from the Alliance?

Come to think of it, what was _he_ doing here?

"Get ready, here we go," Kaylee said. 

Methos reflexively held on to the edges of the chair as he was pushed back into it, counting under his breathe as the pressure intensified. It felt like they were trying to…

"Kaylee, _please_ tell me we're not trying to slingshot around a planet," he said, aloud.

"Wow, good guess," Kaylee said. "Done this before?"

"I don't believe this. You're all certifiable! This is insane."

"Nah, that's just River," Jayne drawled out. "We're just plain crazy."

"Thanks a bunch. I feel so much better now," Methos ground out.

As suddenly as it started, the pressure eased, and the there was a collective breath of relief in the room. "Easy peasy," Kaylee said, lightly, as she unbuckled her belt. "Told you there was nothing to worry about."

Methos bit back the words that came to mind. "I don't suppose anyone is going to fill me in on why we're being chased by Alliance ships," he said, flatly. 

Kaylee glanced at him ruefully. "Sorry, that's up to the Captain."

"I see; then perhaps you can tell me when we next touch down," Methos asked. "All things considered, I think it might be best if I caught another lift—"

The com hissed to life. "Okay folks, looks like we're in the clear for a while," the Captain's voice drawled over the speaker. "See you in ten." 

"See us where?" Methos inquired.

Inara smiled as she got to her feet. "We usually meet in the dining area," 

"Whose turn is it to make the grub?" Jayne said, rubbing his hands together.

"Yours," Simon snapped.

Inara sighed. "Rice and peas again."

"You implyin' there's something wrong with my cooking?"

Inara raised an eyebrow in reply, and Kaylee tried to smother a grin.

"Fine," Jayne muttered, stepping through the door. "I'll make pasta instead, that good enough for ya?"

"With peas," Simon and Kaylee mouthed at Methos as they passed him, and he coughed to cover up his laugh.

"I could say you'll get used to him," Inara said. "But it would be more accurate to say, you'll get used to tolerating him."

"Hopefully, I won't be long enough onboard to get to that stage," Methos said, smiling to soften his words.

"Yes, I thought that once too," she said, cryptically. "Come, I'll show you where the dining area is."

Methos frowned thoughtfully as he followed her through the bowels of the ship. Try as he might, he couldn't figure out why the Alliance was so keen to catch this motley crew. True, they were a bit on the eccentric side, but eccentricity wasn't a crime…not yet, anyway. With the Alliance, one never knew.

"How long have you been on board?" he asked softly as they neared the sound of voices.

"A few years, off and on," she murmured. 

"May I ask, if it isn't too indelicate, why is a companion travelling so far from the core worlds?"

"It's a long story," she said, quietly. "And a personal one." 

Methos nodded, accepting the rebuff.

"Through here," she murmured. Methos ducked through the door after her, and glanced around, he recognised everyone in the room. It was a small crew.

"What's _he _doing here?" the Captain said, to Inara, from his chair at the table.

"I keep asking myself that same question," Methos said.

The Captain sighed. "Listen…Alex?" he drawled, a question mark in his voice. "This is a meeting for crew only. So why don't you toddle off to your quarters."

Methos eyed him. "I would appreciate some answers first," he said, firmly.

"Well, you're not getting any," he said sharply. "Dinner will be in an hour, see you then."

"Fine then," Methos snapped. "But I'll be damned if I'll be stuck on a ship that obviously has a price on its head. I'd appreciate it if you dropped me off at the nearest habitable planet. I don't particularly like the idea of dying because I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, especially as I don't have the faintest idea of why!" The room went quiet, and Methos suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Captain said quietly. "You see, I have a problem, I have two Alliance ships on my tail and no idea of how they found us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Methos said, immediately uneasily.

"I'll let _you_ figure it out…Zoe, show this gentleman to his quarters."

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

  
**Chapter Three**

The chatter in the ship's mess rose to fever pitch as he stepped out into the corridor and Methos looked over his shoulder uneasily. It seemed he had become suspect number one.

"Relax," Zoe said, shutting the door behind them. "They're not going to throw you out the airlock…y_et_."

"I noticed you didn't say 'we'"

"I'm still reserving judgement." A hint of a smile hovered around her lips as she nodded in the direction of his bunk. "You first."

"_At least her gun is still holstered_," he thought, feeling her eyes boring into the back of his head as they made their way down the narrow corridor. His mind flitted back to the Captains words. Why _were_ the crew of Serenity on the run from the Alliance?

He wasn't completely stupid; he knew damned well what a Firefly class ship was used for this far from the core, but the Alliance usually regarded smugglers as a minor annoyance, not a deadly threat to be hunted down.

The arrived at his bunkroom and Methos opened the door without prompting. All things considered, he didn't think he should antagonise his hosts even more. An Immortal couldn't survive being spaced; that was a lesson he'd learnt the hard way on the _Enright. _He winced at the memory; it hadn't been his fault, but Cam had blamed him nonetheless.

Zoe followed him into the room, and cast her eyes at his luggage. "I'll need to go through that," she said, her tone matter of fact. "And while you're at it, take off your coat."

"_Excuse_ me?"

Her lips fell into a flat line. "It's a very good tailoring job, it must have cost you a fortune, but the outline shows when you duck your head." she said, nodding at the low doorway. "So take it off...and don't even _think_ of trying something."

Methos eyed her hand as it rested on the butt of her pistol. "Very well." Slowly, he slipped out of his coat and draped it on the bed.

"Hands in the air, turn around and spread you legs."

Resignedly, Methos did what he was told and Zoe frisked him, quickly finding the dagger at the small of his back and the derringer strapped to his ankle.

His other dagger, strapped to his thigh, she missed.

He heard a brief rustle behind his back, and knew instantly she's found the split in the lining when he heard a short gasp. "Is this real?" she asked.

Methos glanced over his shoulder, his mouth quirking as he spotted the look of awe on her face as she tested it in her hand. "If you're asking if it's a sword, then the answer would be yes."

Zoe threw him a dirty look. "That's not what I meant, and you gorram know it," she said. "It's old, _real_ old; I'm guessing it's old enough to be from Earth."

"It's a family heirloom," he lied. "May I put my hands down now? It's getting a little uncomfortable."

"Do you always carry heirlooms in your coat?" she said, examining the hilt as he slowly let his hands fall to his side.

"Let's put it this way, would _you_ pack it in your luggage travelling this far from the core worlds?"

"You got a point, I suppose," she muttered, laying it carefully on the bed. "So, what _do_ you pack in your luggage? Am I going to find a few more surprises?"

Methos thought of the sonic rifle he'd stashed, in case of emergencies. "In the long carry all," he admitted, knowing she was going to find it anyway.

Wordlessly, she unzipped the canvas bag and pulled it out. "Nice," she observed. "Jayne is going to love it."

"What about the sword?" he asked, an edge creeping into his voice.

Zoe looked at him sharply. "You'll get it back when we're sure you won't stick it into someone's ribs," she informed him coolly, before turning her attention to his luggage.

Methos winced as she threw his clothes onto the bed and searched the bottom of the luggage bags, immediately finding his journal. He eyed her as she flipped through the pages. "I don't recognise the language," she observed. "Or should I say _languages_."

"I'm a linguist, I specialise in old Earth dialects," Methos prevaricated.

She looked at him, as if trying to sniff out the lie. "You're not telling me something," she stated.

"So are you," he countered.

The silence grew uncomfortably long, as she stared him down. "I don't trust you," she eventually said.

"I am _not _working for the Alliance," Methos said, grimly. "I wasn't even going to get _on_ this rust bucket until I was left with no other option. Ask Kaylee if you don't believe me."

"Don't worry, I will," she said, dryly, as she gathered up his weapons. "As the Captain said, dinner is in an hour. I'll come and collect you when it's ready." The door closed behind her, and he heard the snick of a lock. Great, just _great,_ now he was a prisoner. Could this day get any worse?

"Damn it," he muttered, under his breath. "Why did I have to think that?"

----------------

Zoe paused, and snuck a look down the corridor to make sure nobody was watching, before she gripped the sword with two hands and swung it in the air. "Take that, and _that." _She grinned, laughing at her own childishness, but she couldn't help herself. She'd never before seen a sword like this outside a museum, let alone held it in her hands. Mal was going to love it.

Shaking her head in amazement, she lowered the blade and made her way back to the mess. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure out what made their new passenger tick. Oh, he was _polite,_ and surprising cooperative, considering the situation; but what kind of linguist carried that much weaponry? She knew that border planets weren't the most peaceful of places, but there was such a thing as overkill. Hell, _she _didn't carry that much weaponry around, and she had _reason_ to.

No, he was holding something back; she just hadn't figured out what, yet. Funnily enough, she found herself hoping it had nothing to do with the Alliance. She had a funny feeling he would be interesting to have around…

"Well?" Mal asked, looking up as she entered the mess. "Did you get anything?"

"If you mean the truth? Fat chance," Zoe said. "But his luggage was…different."

"Oh yeah?"

Zoe placed the sword in the middle of the kitchen table. "Guess what I found?"

"I know we're in a bad way, Zoe, but I don't think we need Excalibur yet," Mal drawled.

"My God, is that real?" Simon exclaimed, his finger's touching the hilt.

"As far as I can make out," Zoe said, grabbing a chair.

"This must be worth a fortune!"

"Is it?" Jayne said, perking up. "Great! We can hock it after we throw him out the airlock."

"Let's not get carried away with ourselves, shall we?" Inara said, dryly. "We don't know yet if he's actually Alliance, I'd hate to think we'd killed an innocent man."

"Pretty," River declared, dropping her apple to grab the hilt. Zoe automatically leaned back as River held the blade aloft, a smile of delight on her face. She'd seen what River could do with a sharp edged weapon.

"_River,"_ Mal said, warningly. "Best you put it down."

River pouted. "I'm being _careful_."

Simon gently put his hand on her arm. "River, do what the Captain says."

River stuck her tongue out, but placed the sword on the table. "It's old, like him."

Simon laughed. "I don't think our guest is _that_ long in the tooth, River."

River threw him a look, before silently taking another bite of her apple. Not for the first time, Zoe wondered what River wasn't telling them. It was strange; she was usually keen to blurt out all the stray thoughts she caught. Why was she being so secretive all of a sudden?

"Ya know, this is all very interestin', but it still doesn't change the fact that the Alliance is still hot to catch us," Jayne drawled. "And I say this Alex guy is the only one on board we can't trust." As one, the crew turned and stared at him. "Ha, ha, very funny," he muttered, uncomfortably.

. "Zoe, what do you think?" Mal asked.

"Other than the fact he likes really shiny swords?" Zoe shrugged. "I can't get a read on him, to tell the truth. The guy writes in dead languages and carries an antique sword around with him."

"The operative was rather fond of swords too," Mal pointed out.

"Cheap knock off," River said softly. "Not the real deal"

"Thanks for your input, River…anything else, Zoe?"

"Only these."

Mal raised an eyebrow as Zoe threw the rest of the weaponry on the table. "Seems our boy likes his toys,"

"And I'm pretty sure I missed a few things," Zoe said. "He looked a little too relieved when I finished searching him."

"So let's just say, for arguments sake, that he's probably guilty of _something_," Mal said, leaning back in his chair.

"We're all guilty of something, Mal," Inara pointed out. "There isn't one of us in this room that hasn't been at the wrong end of the law at some point and-"

"_Trouble," _Zoe jumped as River slammed her hand on the table and leapt to her feet.

"River," Simon said, impatiently, "There isn't any trouble anymore, remember? We lost them."

River's eyes sharpened and, for a moment, Zoe caught a glimpse of the girl she must have been before the Alliance messed with her head. "I'm not six, Simon," she bit out. "I _do_ know how to tell the time."

A bridge alarm went off, and Zoe scrambled from her chair when she recognised it. "Proximity alert,"

"Trouble," River agreed, beating her to the door.

"Damn it," Mal hissed as he brought up the rear. "Just one little break, that's _all_ I'm asking for."

"River was already poring over the console by the time they caught up with her. "We've got company. One Alliance and one—" River fell into her seat, her hands frozen over the console.

"River, honey," Mal said gently. "One what?"

"Reavers, we've got Reavers."

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Okay, let's not panic." Mal took a deep breath. "River, tell me what's going on out there."

"Trap!" River said, snapping out of her daze.

"Trap? For us?"

River shook her head emphatically. "Like a worm on a hook, they wriggle for the Alliance…they're being sneaky," River muttered.

"You talking about the Reavers, River?" Zoe asked, puzzled. "That don't sound like Reaver tactics...Reavers don't _have_ tactics."

"They can plan, when they want to," River said quietly. "Dark, twisted plans, full of rivers of blood. They want to rape the 'verse; take what was taken from them."

"That doesn't sound good," Mal muttered.

"Not good," River agreed, solemnly. "They sit like spiders, waiting for the honey to draw them in." She pointed at a blank spot on the screen, just beyond a gas giant. "I can _feel _them, they're hungry."

"The planetary interference would mask even a Reaver's engine," Zoe said, looking closely at the readings. "It's possible."

"Great, that's just great," Mal muttered.

"They're taking the bait," River said. "The reaver ship is moving away, and the Alliance ship is following. Blue minced meat."

"Captain?" Zoe looked at Mal's troubled face.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," he muttered. "_Damn _it, we can't let this happen, can we?"

Zoe eyed the radar screen "It's an Alliance cruiser," she said. "The crew will be at least a thousand strong."

Won't do them much good if the Reavers get on board; they wouldn't stand a chance in hand to hand combat…River, have they spotted us?"

River nodded. "They're ignoring us, got bigger fish to fry."

"Right, then," Mal said, grimly, as he grabbed the com. "Time to find out if Caruthers is who he _says_ he is, or if he's just stringing us along – _Jayne_, bring our guest to the bridge."

"Captain?" Zoe asked, uneasily. "What are you thinking?"

"You know as well as me, Zoe, that the Alliance won't believe a word we say. To them, we're a bunch of troublesome thieves who can't keep our noses out of their business. But if Caruthers is Alliance, he'll have codes, and he won't be able to resist trying to warn them."

"And if he isn't?"

"Then we'll have to come up with a plan B, won't we?"

Zoe looked at him doubtfully "I'm not sure about this Captain."

"You got a better plan? Coz I'm all ears," Mal asked, impatiently.

They both turned to look at the hatch door, as they heard footsteps approach. An annoyed looking Caruthers stumbled through the doorway, followed by a grinning Jayne. "Could you call your attack dog off, please? I think he might have fleas."

Zoe eyed Jayne. "He wasn't moving fast enough," he said, unrepentantly. "I had to nudge him along."

Mal sighed. "Okay, here's the deal. We've got an Alliance attack cruiser facing off a Reaver ship. Now, _usually_ this would not be a problem, as an Alliance ship would win, hands down. But what the Alliance ship _doesn't _know is that the Reavers are drawing them into a trap and, a much as I'm not a fan of our gracious government, I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone."

Tilting his head, Caruthers eyed them sharply. "Don't get me wrong, but what has that got to do with me?"

"Well, you see, I know you all hot to deny you're an Alliance spy; but lets face it, they are _way_ too many coincidences piling up, so I reckon you're lying."

"Well, you _reckon_ wrong," Caruthers said, dryly. "I'll admit it, I was eager to get off the planet quickly, but I assure you it has nothing to do with Alliance. There were…personal reasons."

"U-huh, sure, personal reasons," Mal drawled. "They wouldn't have anything to do with a certain antique sword, would it?"

"As I've already explained to your first mate, the sword is a family heirloom; and no, it has nothing to do with it," Caruthers snapped angrily. "Now, can we please drop this charade? I am _not_ an Alliance spy

"He's telling the truth," River piped up.

"Huh?" Startled, Mal rounded on River. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"It was funny," River said, shrugging.

"It was funny?" Mal echoed, disbelief in his voice. "Excuse me if I don't see the humour in this, River."

River smirked. "You don't know the joke yet."

"Does this mean we don't get to throw him out the airlock?" Jayne asked, disgruntled.

Zoe threw him a look. "Yes, Jayne, it does."

"_Damn_ it, and I already had the perfect fence in mind for that sword."

"Oh, this is just _dandy_," Caruthers growled. "I'm stuck on a ship where they don't even wait until the body is cold before they figure out how to dispose of the spoils_."_

"Waste not, want not," Jayne said, promptly. "Words to live by, my mama always said."

"Considering her choice in knitwear, I wouldn't take her advice too seriously."

"Hey, are you disrespecting my _mother_?"

"Okay, kids, _break it up,"_ Mal roared. "We don't have time for this; we still got Reavers on our screen, and whole lot of Alliance troopers about to become dinner."

Jayne shrugged. "Not our problem."

"Our fault," River said, quietly. "We drew them from their home. Now they roam new hunting grounds, but the fresh prey has sharper knives, so they need better teeth."

Caruthers's eyes narrowed. "What is she talking about?"

"Don't mind the reader," Jayne grunted. "She don't know what she's talking about, most of the time."

Caruthers's head whipped around. "Did you say _reader_?"

"Good going, Jayne," Zoe said, rubbing her temples. "Couldn't you just keep your mouth shut for once?"

Jayne, for once, managed to look contrite. "Sorry, just slipped out."

"No time, no time," River said, her voice quavering as she moved uneasily in her seat. "I can't feel them, they're in my mind and they won't let go."

"River, calm down, they're not going to get you," Mal said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zoe, get Simon on the horn, we need him up here."

Nodding, Zoe picked up the com. "Doc, you're needed on the bridge."

"_On my way."_

"Right," Mal said, straightening up. "Here is what we're gonna do… River, set a course right between those two ships; not too fast, I want to be pretty near the giant when we intersect."

"Captain, that isn't a good idea," Zoe warned. "If either of those ships fire, we'll be dead meant."

I'm fresh out of good ideas, Zoe," Mal said, tiredness showing in his voice. "All I've got left is crazy."

"What are you hoping to accomplish?" Caruthers asked.

"I'm _hoping_ that the Reavers will react and do something stupid."

"You want to draw them out, spring their trap before the Alliance ship is caught in it." Zoe said, understanding. "Might work."

"And if it doesn't?" Caruthers folded his arms. "What then?"

"Oh, it will work," Mal drawled. "Coz we're about to send out a warning signal, on all channels, giving the Reaver ships' position away. Even if the Alliance doesn't listen, you can be darned sure _they _will. And Reavers never let their prey go easily."

"They'll eat us alive," Caruthers said, softly.

"Only if the catch us," Mal countered. "And that ain't gonna happen. Serenity may not look like much, but her engine can outdistance any ship going, if it has to."

"I'm here, what's wrong?" Simon asked, stepping onto the bridge.

"We've got Reavers," Mal said, abruptly. "River needs someone to keep her in the here and now, you've been volunteered."

"Reavers?" Simon asked, frowning as he sat by River. "Why aren't we running?"

"Oh, we _will _be, we just have to take care of a few things first." Mal grabbed the com. "Kaylee, we're gonna need your magic in the engine room. We'll need all she's got."

"_What's up?"_

"Reavers."

"Reavers? How—" 

"Kaylee, we don't have time for this, just _do_ it."

"_Yes, Captain."_

The communications console beeped, and Zoe raised an eyebrow. "The Alliance is sending a proximity warning; they're asking us to back off."

"Well, they can just keep on asking," Mal muttered. "River, how's it going there?"

River scowled at him. "Hold your horses."

Another alarm chirped, and Zoe leaned over it. "They're now trying to open a communications channel with us. They might fire if we don't answer."

"_Damn_ it, River—"

"In position," she said, grimly.

"Answer them, Zoe; make sure it's broadcast on all channels."

"Here goes nothing," Zoe muttered, opening a link. "This is the Firefly class ship, Serenity—"

"_I know damned well who you are,"_ a voice cut in as the link sprung to life. _"And, in other circumstances, I'd have you brought in so fast your head would be spinning; but, in case it has escaped your notice, I have more important things to deal with at the moment. So consider yourself lucky, and get the hell out of my way before I shoot you out of my sky."_

"Captain, you're falling into a trap, they are more Reaver ships hiding behind that giant, if you don't break off now—"

"_I've already given you my warning, Serenity; I am not going to repeat it."_

"But you don't understand—" The link cut off, and Zoe caught Mal's eye. "Somehow, I don't think he believed us."

"Ya think?" Jayne broke in, irritably. "Now let's get the gorram out of here before—"

"They're moving," River interrupted, as she checked her console. "_Look._"

Zoe glanced at the screen and felt her mouth go dry as several blips suddenly appeared on the screen. "How many?"

"I count nine," Simon said, flatly.

"Has the Alliance ship seen them?" Mal asked.

"It's changing trajectory," Zoe confirmed, looking at the screen. "So I'm guessing that's a yes."

"Time to run?" River asked, turning to Mal.

"Time to run," he agreed, grimly, leaning into the com. "Kaylee, give us all she's got."

Zoe felt the engines rev beneath her and automatically grabbed onto the nearest chair. Turbulence wasn't really a problem, once you were out in the black, but old habits die hard.

"Going, going, gone," River murmured, as Serenity arched out of position and fired its drive. Zoe felt a small tug, and then nothing, as Serenity settled into its new speed.

"Is that it?" Caruthers asked quietly.

Surprised, Zoe looked at him, she had almost forgotten he was on the bridge; he had been so quiet. "For now," she said, studying his strangely calm face. Most planet-bound folks would be shaking in their breeches by now.

River hummed tunelessly under her breath, and they all turned to look at her. "We're being followed," she said.

"Of course we are," Mal muttered. "Who is it?"

"Reaver ship."

"You sure?" Zoe asked. "They shouldn't be able to keep up with us. Their engines are usually falling apart."

"Mal eyed the blip that shone ominously on the screen. "It seems one of them got an upgrade."

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Methos mentally ran through his options as the Bridge fell into silence. He was trapped on a smuggler's ship running from Reavers and, _apparently_, piloted by a reader with a warped sense of humour and a tenuous hold on reality. The only thing he had, in the shape of a weapon, was one measly dagger and the locals looked more ready to throw him out of an airlock than hand him back his sword.

It didn't look good

"I don't suppose you were lying earlier when you said the ship didn't have weapons?" he asked quietly.

The Captain glanced at him sharply. "No," he said flatly. "That kinda thing brings too much attention."

"Right, coz we never bring attention to ourselves—" Jayne began.

The Captain quelled him with look before turning to Zoe. "How are we for ammunition?" he asked quietly.

"Better than usual, but I'm not sure if it will be enough to fend them off if they board."

Methos wasn't sure if he was hearing them correctly. Were they actually considering trying to fight them? "They'll tear us apart," he said aloud.

"You got a better suggestion?" the Captain asked dryly. "Coz I ain't too pleased by the prospect either."

Methos made a face. "I suppose not," he admitted.

"Right then, now that we've got that settled, let's see what we're up against," the Captain muttered, turning to River. "How long have we got?"

"They're gaining on us," River said softly. "Twenty minutes, twenty five, tops."

The Captain nodded. "You heard her; we've twenty minutes before we've got Reavers crawling all over us. Jayne, I want the forward docking ring sealed up, no need to give them more than one point of entry. Use the blowtorch; I want it locked up tight.

"We could seal up the cargo bay too," Jayne suggested.

The Captain shook his head. "If we do that, they'll just make their own entrance. This way we'll have some say on where they board. Zoe, I want a kill zone set up in the cargo bay, move all the goods up against the hull and make sure we've got some cover on the walkways. Not likely they'll have guns, but who knows what new toys they picked up along with their shiny new ship."

"I'll go with you," piped up Simon, scrambling to his feet.

"The more hands the better," the Captain agreed. "But once the fighting starts I want you in the infirmary. The last thing we need is our Doc out of commission. I've a funny feeling we're gonna need you when this is over."

Simon made a face. "I love your optimism."

"That _was_ me being optimistic," the Captain drawled. "You don't want to hear what my pessimistic side's saying."

Methos felt he could hazard a guess. He had never witnessed a Reaver attack, but he had seen the aftermath; it wasn't pretty. "I could make myself useful," he suggested, warily noting the questioning glance the Captain threw at River, who shrugged and nodded. "Fine," he said, "You can help Zoe and Simon in the cargo bay.

Methos looked at River as he followed Zoe and Simon out of the bridge. He wasn't sure how he felt about the reader's presence. He had heard the stories, how nothing was safe in your mind when a reader was present, but he didn't know for sure how much was myth and how much was fiction. He ferverently hoped there wasn't much truth to the tale.

River smiled and caught his eye. _There can only be one_, she mouthed.

Startled, Methos tripped over the lip of the airlock door and stumbled into Zoe's back. "Sorry," he uttered, summoning a smile as he righted himself. "Forgot it was there."

Zoe looked at him suspiciously, opening her mouth before hesitating. "Are you okay?" she eventually asked. "You've gone a bit pale."

"Delayed reaction," he lied. "I've never seen a Reaver up close and I'm not looking forward to the experience."

Zoe nodded, her eyes darkening. "Yeah, I know how you feel," she said quietly as she descended the steps.

Puzzled, Methos followed her as she silently stalked down the corridor. "Did I miss something?" he asked Simon under his breath.

"Her husband was killed by Reavers a few months back," he muttered. "She hasn't smiled much since. Wash was the only guy who could really make her laugh."

Methos frowned; try as he might, he couldn't pin this crew down. They were smugglers, of that he was sure, but smugglers didn't behave like this. They didn't go around rescuing Alliance warships and they _sure_ as hell didn't do battle with Reavers. Who _were_ these people?

"I wouldn't bother trying to figure them out," Simon said, as if reading his thoughts. Methos threw him a wary look; his sister was a reader, maybe it was genetic. Simon laughed abruptly. "You should see your expression," he said, shaking his head. "Listen, it's like this; this crew has been together a while, they've got their secrets and they don't share easily. That takes time."

Methos raised an eyebrow. "And what about you and River?" he asked.

"That's another story," Simon said, sighing. "We joined Serenity's crew about a year ago. It's been…an experience."

Methos's eyes took in the expensive cut of his clothes. Combined with his cultured accent, it made him yet another anomaly on the ship. He decided to let the matter go, there were more important matters at hand…like surviving the next few hours.

Zoe was already moving the pulley into place when they entered the bay. "Doc, move some of that onto the walkway," she said flatly, pointing at a small pile of sheet metal leaning against the hull. "Secure it to rails as best as you can."

Methos ambled to Zoe's side, helping her to attach the pulley to a pallet as Simon hauled the sheeting up the steps. "I don't suppose I could have my weapons back?" he asked lowly. "I get the distinct feeling that fending of a gang of marauding Reavers with my bare hands wouldn't be very effective."

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I'll think about it," she said, as she grabbed the pulley's controls and moved the pallet against the wall. "Although, I don't think the sonic rifle will do anything except annoy them."

"The sword, then?"

"You're very attached to that, aren't you," she observed dryly as she swiftly removed the pulley from the pallet and moved to the next piece of obstructing cargo.

"I'm old fashioned, that way," Methos said, not seeing any point in denying it. Thankfully, carrying a sword had become popular again on many of the colony planets. A pretension rather than a real need, but he wasn't about to complain. If the rising aristocracy were foolish enough to resort to duels in order to settle their differences, it was no skin off his nose.

"Hmmm," Zoe said, noncommittally, as the second pallet rose into the air. "I'll think about—"

A loud thump echoed through the bay, and Zoe's eyes shot towards the airlock doors. "Seems they're early," she said, as she unholstered her pistol and threw it at him. "You'll have to make do with this."

Methos automatically checked the chamber. "I'll need ammunition."

"It's up above," Zoe threw over her shoulder as she took the steps two at a time. Methos swore and followed on her heels, grabbing the box of ammunition she lopped at him as he gained the walkway.

"How bad is this going to be?" he asked, as she loaded a rifle.

Zoe threw him a long look. "Let's just say you won't be sleeping easy for a while." she said, before turning to Simon. "Best be gone, Doc."

"Good luck," Simon said, with feeling, as he retreated back into the ship.

A resounding crash heralded the Reavers entry into the airlock and Methos took a deep breath as the inner doors slowly creaked open, grasping hands suddenly appearing through the crack.

"Don't bother," Zoe said quietly as he aimed the pistol. "Minor wounds won't slow them down. Go for the head or the heart, anything else is just a waste of bullets." Methos nodded, turning his head as he heard the clatter of footsteps in the corridor.

"They through yet?" the Captain asked as he appeared through the doorway, Jayne at his shoulder.

"Any moment now," Zoe said grimly.

Her words proved prophetic as the doors suddenly gave way, and a snarling tangle of bodies fell through the doorway. Methos felt his throat go dry. He hadn't seen such horrific mutilations since his Horsemen days, and Caspian's little projects weren't usually up and running about after he'd finished with them. The sharp bark of Zoe's rifle brought him to his senses and he quickly aimed as they swarmed across the bay, felling one with a shot to the head.

"Good shot," Jayne muttered under his breath as he brought his rifle to bear. "Betcha I could do better.

"I didn't realise it was a competition," Methos said sharply, dropping another Reaver as it gained the steps.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. It was a compliment…sort of."

Methos took a double take as Jayne smirked. Was it his imagination or was that a joke? _Chui niu, and I thought Kronos's sense of humour was bad…and what the heck am I doing? Keep your eye on the ball, old man._

The next few minutes were a blur, and Methos lost count of how many times he'd reloaded as the Reavers kept coming, ignoring the growing heap of bodies on the cargo bay floor. "We're running out of ammunition," he heard Zoe say, and a quick glance at the bullets he'd left confirmed this as a fact.

"We're going to have to fall back," the Captain muttered, and Methos felt his heart sink as he heard the defeat in his voice.

"_Charge!" _

The pad of bare feet resounded on the walkway, and Methos resisted the urge to wipe his eyes as he turned and stared at the scene unfolding before him.

Her hair flying wildly behind her, she blurred along the narrow walkway, his sword held firmly aloft in her grasp as she leaped into the empty air over the cargo bay. The jump should have been impossible, but when her feet rested lightly on the pallet swinging from the pulley, it seemed the most natural thing in the world.

"What the hell are you _doing_, girl," he shouted before he could stop himself. "Come back here right _now_."

"Oh, the old man is angry," River said impishly, as her toes curled around the edges of the pallet. "Don't worry; I'll bring it _right_ back."

Methos watched in disbelief as she dropped onto the cargo bay floor, and the Reaver's fell on her. "Aren't you going to _do_ something?" he asked, rounding on her crewmates, who stood grimly silent. "That crazy girl has some kind of _death wish_."

"Watch," Zoe said softly, jerking her head at the cargo bay floor.

Methos turned, his hands gripping the rail, as he realised what he was seeing. He watched in horrified fascination as the girl danced through the swarm of Reavers, the sword never missing its mark. She wasn't smiling anymore; the blankness on her face was chilling. It was like something out of a dream, or a nightmare; the blood was everywhere, tainting the floor, the walls…he hadn't seen this kind of carnage in centuries.

The silence came suddenly, and Methos blinked as he noticed that the only person left standing below was River. She had killed them all, simple as that. Slowly, she picked her way through the bodies and climbed up the steps, and Methos straightened as she came to halt before him, the sword now limp in her hands. "They're quiet now," she said as she handed him the blade.

He turned the sword in his hand as he looked down at her bloodied trail of footprints. It seemed that there was a new game in town, and he didn't know the rules.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

The EVA suit amplified the sound of her breath as Zoe cautiously stepped into the new chamber and eyed the mess around her. They had vented the Reaver ship after disposing of the bodies in the cargo hold, in case the ship held a few nasty surprises, but the only bodies she'd found were those of their victims.

Mal's voice hissed through the suit's com_. "Zoe, find anything?"_

"Just some more dead bodies," she said flatly, "It's clear."

"_Same here…Jayne?"_

"_Deader than a rat's corpse."_ Jayne grunted. "_Can we leave now? This place is giving me the creeps."_

"_I'm not exactly overjoyed to be here, either," _was Mal's dry reply. "_Let's get back to Serenity, I need a shower."_

Zoe backed out of the chamber. "Did you find out where they got the ship?" she asked.

"_The ships registered to a company out of Sihnon," _Mal said. _"It's some sort of high end transport ship."_

"Kinda leaves a lot of questions," Zoe observed. "Those craft don't usually wander beyond the core worlds."

"Guess River was right, the Reavers aren't sticking to their little corner of space anymore."

"The Alliance aren't going to like that," Zoe sighed as she picked her way through the cluttered corridor, her eyes avoiding what she was stepping over.

"Might explain why they're suddenly so keen to catch us again. They need someone to blame."

"Might," Zoe said, knowing Mal didn't believe that anymore than she did. They were after River, and they both damned knew it.

"Yeah, might."

At last, she made it to the airlock and raised a hand in greeting to Jayne and Mal, who were waiting for her. "Has Kaylee made the repairs?"

The helmet of Mal's suit bobbed as he hit the airlock's controls. "Not perfect, but she reckons it will hold until we reach dirtside."

Zoe grimaced, Serenity's main airlock had taken quite a battering from the Reavers; and a leaky airlock could cause all manner of problems. "Repairs are going to be difficult on Whitefall," she said. "Not to mention expensive."

"We'll just have to pick up some work, that's all"

"Yeah, right," Jayne muttered discontentedly. "That I'd like to see. We're goddamned persona non gratis in every bolthole in the solar system, not even Badger will touch us."

"Persona non gratis?" Mal echoed as the airlock shut behind them.. "Have you been readin' again, Jayne?"

Jayne grunted. "So what if I have?"

The light went green and Zoe took off her helmet, shaking out her hair. "Careful, Jayne," she teased, keeping her face straight. "You're in danger of becoming educated."

Jayne wrenched his helmet off, revealing a pout. "I ain't that dumb."

"Uhuh," Mal said, noncommittally, as Serenity's airlock opened slowly with a dull groan. "Damn," he muttered. "Don't sound good."

Zoe shrugged, knowing there wasn't anything she could say that would improve matters.

The doors halted half way, and Kaylee's head appeared. "Hey, Captain," she said brightly. "That's as far as it will go, I'm afraid."

"Damn it, Kaylee, is this gorram thing even space worthy?" Mal said worriedly as he ducked underneath the door and into the cargo bay.

"It'll hold," she said, frowning slightly. "Just about."

Zoe sighed; it seemed nothing went their way anymore. "At least you're still alive," she told herself, and then felt a pang as Wash's smile flashed in her mind.

"Find anything?" Simon's voice asked, and Zoe glanced at the doctor, who was on his knees scrubbing the deck. They had got most of the blood out, but the ship still needed a proper airing.

"Nothing helpful," Mal said dully. "But I wasn't really expecting to."

"Blood and tears," River said softly, from her perch on the walkway, Inara by her side.

Inara's hand fell on the young girls shoulder. "Perhaps you should come away from here, River," she said. It had the sound of a familiar refrain., and Zoe suspected that Inara had been trying to move river from the cargo bay since they'd boarded the Reaver ship.

"I'm where I should be," River said, shrugging Inara's hand away gently. "We all are."

A movement caught the corner off Zoe's eye and she glanced over. Alex Caruthers was sitting on one of the pallets, watching them. "Couldn't find something useful to do?" she asked, harshly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Other than scrubbing the deck, you mean?" he returned. "I'm not a member of your crew, remember?"

Zoe's mouth twisted, there was something about this guy that put her on edge; that made her want to push him and see if she could if she could wring something other than a sarcastic comment out of him.

"He helped move the bodies," Kaylee offered softly, and Zoe nodded reluctantly. That was true, and he had done it without a word of complaint either. Mind you, nobody was in the mood for speaking at the time.

"River," Mal sighed, breaking the tension. "How's our course?"

River leaned into the railings and shrugged. "We should be there in twelve hours."

"Well, get your ass up to the bridge and unlock that piece of junk from our airlock, we don't want it to be floating around too close to orbit."

A sigh of relief came from Caruthers as River got to her feet and ran from the cargo bay. She could understand his reaction, she supposed. River wasn't the easiest company at the best of times. She frowned, her mind flitting to their brief exchange before River had attacked the Reavers. Something told her there was a story there; River had been acting strangely around him since he's boarded, a mixture of disbelief and amusement…but no suspicion, strangely enough.

Hmmm.

"Zoe, you okay?" Mal asked softly.

Zoe gave Mal a reassuring nod. "Just thinking," she said, abruptly, as she wriggled out of the rest of the EVA suit.

Mal gave her a concerned glance and Zoe sighed inwardly. He had been acting like that since Wash died, as if she was suddenly going to fall apart at the seams. He really should know better, but she supposed he wouldn't be Mal if he weren't worried.

"I'm starving, whose turn is it to cook?" Jayne asked suddenly.

"I believe it is mine," Inara declared, getting gracefully to her feet. Zoe smothered a smile, as he noticed the puzzled look on Mal's face. It was actually his turn to cook but the crew tended to steer him away from the kitchen as often as they could. There were only so many times one could eat beans and jerky, especially on a confined ship.

"And that's my cue to leave, I think," Caruthers said, standing up. "I'll be in my quarters."

Silently, Zoe watched him climb the steps, noticing the telltale bump in his jacket as he dipped his head under the door above. So he was carrying his sword again, interesting.

"So, what do you think?" Mal asked.

"About what?"

"Caruthers, of course. Do you think we can trust him?"

Zoe threw him a look. "We'd better hope so, he's already seen too much," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, there are ways of rectifying that, if needs be," Mal said grimly. "But I'd rather not do that unless it's our only option."

Zoe pulled a face, she's rather not space someone if there was any way around it. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, don't we?"

o----0----o o----0----o o----0----o

Sighing with relief, Methos shrugged out of his coat and flopped onto his bunk. The last few days had been hellish, not to mention strange. He hadn't seen that much action since he'd left Earth…well, there had been that business with Duncan back on Dayton's Moon a few decades back, but that didn't really count.

But what was next on the horizon? Somehow, he didn't think that Serenity's brush with the Alliance was a one off thing, there was definitely more trouble on the way; he hadn't like the tone of that Alliance commander over the com.

And then there was River, who knew way too much for his own good. He didn't like the way she looked at him, amused and knowing. It reminded him too much of what he saw when he looked in the mirror. She was way too young to have a look like that, and he was way too old to feel comfortable about it. Who the hell was she…what the hell was she?

All that speed and agility wasn't normal, that he definitely knew, a mutation perhaps? It was bound to happen, sooner or later, he supposed, and he's been hearing rumours about readers for decades; but it still didn't explain how she massacred those Reavers, there was a chilling efficiency to it that he didn't want to examine too closely.

Way too many memories.

A gentle tap on the screen door interrupted his thoughts, and Methos eyed the door warily. "Who is it?"

The door slid open in answer and River poked her head in, smiling shyly. "Can I enter?"

Methos sat upright on the bunk as she hovered in the doorway, and speculated what she'd do if he said no. He decided not to find out. "Come in."

She stepped into the quarters and her eyes darting around the small room as if it was new to her.

"Sit down," Methos prompted, as she stood uncertainly in the room. "Please." In one movement, River sank to the floor and sat cross-legged; Methos's lips quirked. "There is a seat just behind you," he said.

River hunched her shoulders. "More comfortable here,"

It was funny, just moments before he was wondering what she was thinking, but now that she was here, he couldn't think of a thing to say. "To what do I owe the honour of this visit?" he asked dryly.

She cocked her head, a slow smile spreading across her face, and Methos wondered uneasily if she was reading his thoughts. "We'll be landing soon," she said, eventually. "Will you stay with us?"

"Probably not," Methos admitted reluctantly. "I don't think it would be a very good idea."

"You should stay," River said firmly. "It would be good for you."

Methos raised an eyebrow. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Just because," River muttered, her eyes wandering across the room. "How do you do it?"

"Excuse me?" asked Methos, puzzled.

"How do you do it…keep it all hidden inside?"

Methos examined the sudden, wistful expression on her face. "I didn't think I could keep anything hidden from you," he said softly.

"Not the thoughts on the surface, not what you are; but what you were, that's all squirreled down deep," she admitted, frowning. "I can sense it's there, but I can't reach it."

"It's probably better if you didn't," Methos muttered.

"But how do you do it," she asked, leaning forward intently. "How do you keep it from taking over?"

Ah, so that's why she's here.

Methos looked at her troubled face, and tried to gather the words to explain it. "It never goes away," he said gently. "It's always there, at the back of your mind, but when you accept it, then it's easier to put it away and keep it under control."

"I'm not sure if I can do that."

"I thought that once too," he said. "But it can be done; though it might be harder in your case. All my anger and hate came from inside, you're not so lucky."

River nodded thoughtfully. "It's hard…to shut it out," she said. "Sometimes I don't know where I begin and other's end."

"Were you always like this?" Methos enquired quietly.

River stilled. "Not always, but that doesn't matter now…dinner's ready." She got to her feet, brushing her skirt off. "I still think you should stay, it would be best," she said abruptly, as she slid the door open.

Methos leaned back on the bunk as she ghosted out of the room. An enigma wrapped up in a Firefly class ship, and not the only one at that. "Well, old man, should you stay or should you go?"

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Methos sighed as he hefted the small canvas bag that now held all his essentials. He had a funny feeling he might need to be quick on his feet when he left Serenity. The question was, did he really want to leave?

He wasn't exactly sure why he felt so torn, maybe it was the desperate hope he had seen in River's eyes when she had asked him to stay or the quiet distrust he had read in Zoe's face… although why that had struck so hard, he didn't want to examine too closely. The only thing he knew for certain was that they were going to hit dirtside in less than an hour, and he had a decision to make.

And it was harder decision to make than it should have been.

In the last few days he'd been hunted by one of his own kind, had to leave the life he had spent nearly a decade creating on Persephone, been chased by a small fleet of Alliance battleships, and attacked by Reavers. It was enough excitement to last a century.

So why was he considering staying? What was it about this crew that attracted him so much? Cursing under his breath, he threw the canvas bag onto his bed and looked around the sparse room. "_Getting lonely in your old age, old man_?" he thought, a flicker of amusement rising within him.

He didn't know much about their destination. Whitefall was one of Athena's moons and had only the most basic form of terraforming. It was a backwater in anybody's book, and Methos liked his comforts so it never really interested him enough to investigate it further.

Until now, he hadn't really cared about where he ended up; he had just wanted to get off Serenity. But now, he wasn't so sure…"_Yeah right_, a_dmit it, you're just looking for an excuse to stay."_

He frowned at his own indecision. The smart thing to do would be to leave. So what if Whitefall was a backwater? All he had to do was wait until another ship landed and then he could book passage to greener pastures.

Yes, that was the smart thing to do.

A hiss came from the ship's com and Methos stiffened. "_Okay, folks, we've reached Whitefall. You know the drill; we're going to land a mile outside town. We don't want make it too easy for Patience to get the drop on us again."_

Again? That didn't sound good. Muttering under his breath, he slid the door open and looked out into the deserted corridor. Not that he expected to see anybody there. He knew the rest of the crew were probably in the mess…and he also knew that he wasn't welcome there. He had got thr message loud and clear over the last couple of days, when every time he had joined them for a meal, the conversation dried up.

But he was damned if he was going to walk into another situation without all the facts. He needed answers, and he needed them fast. Sighing, he made his way into the belly of the ship, they may not trust him, but he was a paying passenger and he was entitled to some answers…

"She's going to try and stiff us again, you know that. Patience really hates your guts."

Methos halted in his tracks as Zoe's voice echoed down the narrow corridor, and tried to pinpoint where it was coming from.

"And I'm guessing that the Alliance knows that too. If they're still trying to track us, it'll be the last place they'll look."

"_Mal, the last time you two met, you dropped a dead horse on her. We'll be lucky if she doesn't try to put a bullet between your eyes the moment she sees you."_

"_Yeah, well, you and Jayne will have to make sure she doesn't succeed, don't you."_

Methos's eyes narrowed as he eyed the steps ahead; they had no clue he was below them, that was clear.

"_Sooner or later, our luck is going to run out, Mal."_

"Luck? I haven't had that since Serenity, Zoe, I think we both know that."

Methos blinked as the import of the words sank in. Well, that explained a few things… including the name of the ship. That he had named her after that particularly bloody battle also gave him an insight into the man that was Serenity's captain…one that gave him pause.

The metal steps shivered under the weight of a footfall and Methos hastily made his way past the stairwell and down the corridor. Something told him that it wouldn't be very good for his health to be caught eavesdropping.

Methos's mind turned as he digested what the Captain and Zoe had said. If Serenity's crew weren't very welcome on Whitefall, it didn't say much of his chances of landing on his feet there. The fact that he'd arrived on Serenity would already mark him with suspicion. Great, that's just great.

Sighing, he stepped into the mess, nodding absently at Simon and Inara, who were sharing a pot of tea and ignoring Jayne, who seemed to be oiling yet another piece of his extensive arsenal. Someone should really explain to him the meaning of overkill.

"Mr Caruthers," Inara said, her voice carefully courteous. "Would you care to join us for a cup of tea?"

Methos paused, while the companion had not been as openly distrustful of him as the rest of the crew, she had not gone out of her way to strike up a conversation with him since he'd boarded; which made her sudden, genteel offering rather suspicious. She was up to something. "I don't mind if I do," Methos eventually said. Perhaps he would learn something.

"Pardon me for saying so, but you do seem a bit…distracted," she said. "Honey?"

Methos kept his amusement from his face as he nodded. "Please." He watched as she spooned a generous dollop of the precious commodity into his cup. "_All the better to sweeten the interrogation, my dear,"_ he thought cynically. He wondered if the Captain had put her up to this, or if she was doing it on her own initiative.

"The last few days must have been very trying for you," she said, her cheeks dimpling as she offered him the cup.

"Indeed," he said, sampling the tea. Earl Grey, very nice…and formidably expensive this far from the core.

Inara nodded in understanding, looking for all the world as if he had said something pithy and wise. She was really rather good, even for a companion. "I understand," she said, from underneath her eyelashes. "We live in troubled times, of course, and sometimes…well, things happen…"

The pause seemed to go on forever, and Methos wondered how many people, eager to fill up the lengthening silence and gain approval in her eyes, had fallen for this trick. "As you say," he said, smiling as he took another sip of the tea.

Inara raised an eyebrow, recognition flaring in her eyes. "But of course you already know this," she said sweetly. Ah, a change of tactics, she was no longer the comforting shoulder but now the flatterer. Damn, she was good.

A little_ too _good, what the hell was she doing on this ship?

"Simon was just telling me that his sister seems very fond of you."

Methos stiffened in his chair, but kept the sudden wariness out of his voice. "She is a very…unusual girl," he offered.

"Yes, she is, and some people may not understand that…or worse, try to use her to their own ends."

Methos relaxed slightly in his seat. Their fears were very real and he understood why they would be wary of him being privy to her abilities. He was a stranger, after all. "River has nothing to fear from me," he said. "And if she did, don't you think she'd already know that? She is a reader, after all."

"She's also a young, impressionable girl, Mr Caruthers," Inara pointed out gently.

Methos laughed out loud, unable to stop himself. "I do hope you're not inferring what I think you are," he said, shaking his head. "Because, if you are, then you're not as astute as I thought you were. I prefer my women to be…well, _women_."

"Nevertheless, she seems very taken with you."

Methos hesitated, there was an element of truth in what Inara said, just not for the reasons the companion suspected; but without all the facts, he could hardly blame her for her conclusions. "I think it would be more accurate to say that she is intrigued by me," he allowed carefully. "She finds me interesting, yes, but not in that manner."

"Can you be so sure of that?" she asked.

Methos's mind flitted back to their conversation in his berth and the look of hope on River's face. Yes, he could be sure, but maybe what River wanted from him was more dangerous than anything Inara suspected. She was right to be wary, she'd just got the details wrong. Methos sighed; short of telling Inara the truth, there was really only one answer to give. "Yes, I'm positive."

"I see," Inara said. "Well, I'm sure that takes a lot of worry off her brother's mind, doesn't it, Simon?"

Methos eyed the doctor, who had been silent through the whole exchange, and noted his stiff nod. Once again, Methos felt himself reconsidering the point of this "conversation". Oh, that Inara had been worried about River's seeming attraction to him was obvious, but Methos suddenly wondered if she'd really entertained the possibility that they were lovers. She was a companion, after all, and trained to spot such things…

Jayne shifted in his chair, and Methos turned to look at him. Was it really such a coincidence that he had been in the room, gun in hand, while this conversation had taken place. Had this been a test? Had he passed?

"Well, it has been so nice talking to you, Mr Caruthers," Inara said, "If you'll excuse me, I have a few things to attend to before we land.

Automatically, Methos got to his feet as she stood, and Inara bowed her head in acknowledgement of the courtesy before she left the mess. Letting out a long breath, Methos sank back into his seat, and took another sip of his tea. He might as well enjoy it; he had a funny feeling that luxuries were rare on Serenity.

Just like trust.

**oooooo0oo0oo0oooooo**

"How did it go?" Zoe asked, as Inara stepped into the bridge.

"Much as I thought it would," Inara said, shrugging. "He is a hard man to rattle. I even tried inferring that there was a relationship between the two to see if he'd let anything slip. It didn't work."

"What? A man immune to your wiles?" Mal drawled. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Inara threw him a dark look and Zoe suppressed a sigh. One of these days, she was going to throw them into an airlock and keep them there until they both came to their senses. She had once thought that the way they kept dancing around each other was cute but, since Wash had died, she had become more than aware of how brief happiness can be. If these two weren't careful, it might pass them by completely. "Can we keep on the subject, _please?"_

Mal threw her a surprised look, and Zoe realised that she had spoken more sharply than she'd meant. "Sorry, I'm a bit on edge."

"No, you're right," he said gruffly.

"Has she said anything else about our passenger," Inara said, nodding at the other end of the bridge, where River sat on the controls.

"Not a word," Zoe said glumly.

"Damn it, I was hoping to have this resolved before we landed," Mal sighed. "Things are going to be complicated enough without having an unknown in the mix."

"Maybe we can work the situation in our favour," Inara suggested. "Team River up with him when we land and see how he handles it."

"I don't know," Mal said unsurely. "What if something goes wrong? I don't like the thought of him guarding the back of one of my crew, even if she is more than capable of looking after herself."

"So I'll stay with them," Zoe said. "Make sure he doesn't do anything…stupid."

"Like running to the Alliance the first chance he gets," Mal said, understanding.

"Exactly."

"So we have a plan," Inara said. "Good, now all we have to worry about is Patience."

Mal groaned at the thought. "Don't remind me."

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

It occurred to Methos that whoever had baptised Whitefall with its name had a really sick sense of humour. The ground was arid and dry, the air parched and hot; it was, in short, a living hellhole. "Why are we doing this again?" he asked aloud as the Captain trundled down the ramp, Jayne at his heels.

"Coz we running short of money and your passage don't go halfway to covering our bills," he said shortly.

Methos wondered if it would be even worth pointing out it wasn't his problem. He was a passenger, not crew; but something told him that the lines had been irredeemably blurred during the last few days. He also couldn't shake the feeling that he was being tested in some way, although how he hadn't figured out.

"So…what do you want me to do?" he asked cautiously.

"Jayne mentioned you were pretty handy with a gun when we had the Reaver problem," he drawled, giving him a humourless smile. "I figure I should put that to good use."

"Is that so?" Methos asked warily, unconsciously shifting his weight before he knew what he was doing. Damn it, he'd been on the ship for less than a week and he was already picking up their ornery ways. Next thing you know, he'll be looking to pick a fight in the local saloon._ Cabin fever, yeah, that's what it is, cabin fever._

"Yeah, that's so," the Captain said sharply. "You've got a problem with that?"

Did he? Methos kept his face bland as he shrugged. "Depends on who you want me to shoot," he said.

Mal nodded abruptly, and something like approval showed in his eyes. "I won't ask you to shoot anyone who doesn't have it coming," he said. "Just be prepared for the worst, that's all. We're in a bit of a sticky situation here; Patience, the woman who runs this moon, is not fond of us."

Methos smiled wryly, remembering the conversation he'd overheard earlier. "I'm guessing there is nobody else, around these parts, who'd be happier to see you?"

"You guess right." The Captain said darkly as he gazed at the horizon. "There's a rendezvous point about a click due west, just outside town. Patience likes to deal from a position of strength, which means she'll have snipers placed on high ground. Chances are she'll try to stiff us, too."

"Sounds like you're talking from experience," Methos ventured.

Mal shrugged uncomfortably. "We had a bit of a dust up, last time we met."

"That's one way of puttin' it," Jayne muttered under his breath.

"Quit it, Jayne, we've already been over this," Mal said flatly. "Give him the rifle."

Jayne shrugged a rifle off his shoulder with a disgruntled expression on his face. "You be careful with this," he said gruffly as he handed it to Methos, along with a box of cartridges.

"I promise not to shoot anyone I shouldn't," Methos drawled, his voice dry.

"That's not what I meant. She cost me a pretty penny. I want it back in the same condition I gave it to you." The 'or else' was left hanging unsaid

"Ah," Methos said, noncommittally, dropping the strap over his head as Mal smirked.

"Captain, we're ready."

Methos watched as Zoe ambled down the ramp, cocking an eyebrow as he noticed River by her side. "Is there something you forgot to tell me?" he asked, glancing sideways at the Captain.

"Me and Jayne are going to do the face to face," he said. "You and Zoe are gonna take to the high ground, and make sure our backs are covered. River is going along for the ride."

"I see," Methos said, not sure what to make of the new development. "I can't help but notice River isn't armed."

"Doesn't need to be," Mal said simply. "But I reckon you already know that."

Yes, Methos did, but he didn't like being reminded of the fact. "I take it we're on foot," he said.

"Less chance of her hearing us coming," Mal said, nodding. "Let's get going."

Silently, they trooped away from the Firefly, and Methos sighed as he felt the sweat trickle down his back. There was nothing for it, though; he wasn't going anywhere without his sword, and that meant wearing the coat.

The terrain was rough, and Serenity quickly fell out of sight behind a low hill. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of uneasiness as he realised how vulnerable they were on foot. He eyed the horizon ahead and noticed that the hills rose higher as they neared the town. If there were snipers, as the Captain said, they would be sitting ducks.

Mal stopped at the mouth of a small valley. "This is where we part ways," he said. "I reckon she'll have at least two up there, maybe a couple more. She'll be more paranoid this time."

"I still think this is a stupid idea," Jayne complained. "It should be me up there."

The captain ignored him as he caught Zoe's eye. "You good?"

"I'm good," she said, pulling out her pistol as she eyed the hillside.

Methos watched Mal and Jayne as they continued down the dirt path, arguing as they went. "Butch and Sundance they aren't," he observed aloud as he turned to follow Zoe and River up the incline.

"Who?" Zoe asked distractedly, turning her head to look at him.

Methos shook his head in amusement. He had once thought the two train robbers would remain notorious for all time; guess he was wrong. "Just some people I used to know," he said. "It's not important."

River giggled as she trotted easily beside them. "You're funny," she said, before haring off.

"Is it safe to let her do that?" Methos asked eventually, as River pulled further, and further, ahead.

"No way to stop her," Zoe said, the worry evident in her voice. "We're too close to the rendezvous point to call out.

Methos risked a sideways glance at his companion. There was no doubt about it, she was stunning looking. He wondered how she ended up living this life, but figured the question wouldn't be welcome. _What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like this…_ He smirked as he pictured her response. It would be very painful, if he was any judge of character.

"What's so amusing?" Zoe asked, as she looked at his expression.

"Oh, everything," he said lightly. "I'm easily amused."

"I'm beginning to see that," she said dryly. "Although I fail to see what's so funny about this." She gestured at the parched landscape, and Methos grinned.

"Oh, that's easy," he teased. "The fact that I'm here makes it plenty amusing. It isn't the kind of place I'd be by choice."

Zoe smiled reluctantly. "That makes two of us," she agreed. "But sometimes you just gotta go with the choices life deals you—" She came to a dead halt, and placed a hand on his arm, pulling him to ground. "Eleven o'clock," she muttered under her breath. "I don't think he's seen us yet."

Methos followed her gaze and spotted him, belly down in the grass, a shotgun in his hands. Quickly, he pulled the rifle from his shoulder and looked through the scope. "Shit," he muttered, as he realised why the sniper hadn't noticed them yet.

"What?" Zoe asked.

"He's got River in his sights," he said tersely, thumbing off the safety catch.

"Don't shoot until you have to," Zoe said. "That rifle doesn't have a silencer."

Methos nodded in understanding. If there were other snipers in the area, the gunshot would give their position away. River, meanwhile, was seemingly oblivious to the situation, as she hopped and skipped up the hill. "You should put that girl on a leash," he complained under his breath. "She's going to get herself killed."

"River is as River does," Zoe said evenly. "Can't change that."

"I'm beginning to realise that," Methos said, aiming for between the sniper's eyes as he shifted his position, and waiting for the sniper to commit to the target. Maybe they'd get lucky; maybe the sniper was under orders to wait for a signal…

The sniper's finger pressed slightly on the trigger, and Methos took the shot. "Bugger," he cursed as the retort echoed through the valley.

"Nothing you could do about it," Zoe said calmly. "What's done is done."

Methos looked up the hill, and let go a breath of relief as he noticed River had ducked into the undergrowth, making herself a less appealing target. "We'd better move," he said. "Someone will come to investigate soon—"

Heavy gunfire bellowed in the distance, and Zoe shot to her feet. "Mal," she said, as she dashed ahead, grabbing the sniper's shotgun as she went.

Cursing, Methos chased after her and wondered where he'd left the last of his commonsense. "It's the bloody OK corral all over again," he grumbled.

Suddenly, River was beside him, grinning widely. "Got a plan," she announced firmly.

"Glad to see somebody has," he said as he scrambled to the top of the ridge and looked down. "Oh, for gods sake," he snarled as he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and looked down the scope at the dozen men that were swiftly making their way from the hillside to Mal's position. "What happened to 'two, maybe a couple more'?" He watched as Mal and Jayne made it to cover behind a rock.

"Guess Patience is a little more paranoid than we thought," Zoe said flatly. "Though they're not shooting to kill."

"They want us alive," River piped up. "Bigger bounty."

Methos groaned as he pulled the cartridges from his pocket. "How good a shot are you?" he asked Zoe.

"At this range, better than you," she said.

"You shoot, I'll reload," Methos decided, as he slid a cartridge into his empty barrel. "Better give River the pistol, to cover our backs." Wordlessly, Zoe handed the pistol to River and took aim. She dropped the first gunman at fifty yards from Mal's position.

Methos watched in satisfaction as Patience's other men slowed and looked up; one aimed at their position and Zoe dropped him. "Two down, ten to go," she said as she swapped weapons with Methos. She aimed again and fired. "Nine." The next bullet missed. "Damn."

"Doesn't matter," Methos said as he handed her the now reloaded shotgun. "You've got them running for cover and that's what—" Methos gasped soundlessly as the bullet ripped through his chest and staggered back. His sight dimmed, and he fought the urge to giggle as he felt himself slip away. He felt hands catching him, trying to ease his fall, and a voice calling him, as if from a great distance. _"Caruthers, hold on, damn you, you're not dying on my watch."_

oo0o0o0o0oo

Zoe felt something inside her go cold as she felt his pulse stop in his wrist. Damn it, she barely knew the man, why was she so upset?"

She felt River's hand drop gently onto her shoulder. "Zoe?" she said. "Mal's still in trouble, Zoe."

Zoe left Caruthers's wrist drop to the ground and rose. "You load, I fire," she said.

"No," River said firmly, taking the shotgun from her hand. "I don't miss."

Accepting the truth of it, Zoe nodded as she picked up the rifle and started to load. River aimed down the valley, not even bothering to look down the barrel, and effortlessly dropped two more henchmen. She watched as the remains of Patience's lackeys suddenly broke, and started retreating.

"Shall I keep firing?" River asked, suddenly unsure.

"No, there's been enough killing for today," Zoe said softly as she watched Mal and Jayne pull out from their position and fall back. "Time to get back to Serenity."

"What about him?" River asked, pointing at Caruthers's corpse.

"He's dead, River," Zoe said calmly. "There's nothing we can do for him."

River shook her head slowly as she bent down beside Caruthers's body. "No, not dead, playing possum," she said solemnly, as she shook the corpse by the shoulder. "Come on, stop pretending, we have to go now."

Zoe opened her mouth, then closed it as she noticed Caruthers's chest slowly rise. No, that was impossible; she'd felt his pulse stop. He was dead...wasn't he? Zoe spun the rifle's butt around and dug it into the corpse's stomach.

"Oof!"

Dazedly, Zoe watched as Caruthers's eyes popped open. "Hmm, guess that gave the game way, eh?" he asked warily, not moving as Zoe suddenly remembered herself and aimed the rifle at him.

"What the hell are you?" she asked lowly.

Caruthers's sighed, and let his head drop back onto the ground. "That is a very long story."

River giggled and Zoe shot her a disapproving look. "It ain't funny, River, he could be _anything." _The import of her own words suddenly sunk in. To think she'd actually been warming up to him towards the end. She was such an idiot. "I'll ask again," she ground out. "What are you? Answer or I'll give you a bullet for your trouble."

"Won't help," River supplied. "He'll just come back again."

"River, not helping," he murmured, not taking his eyes off the rifle aimed at him.

"Just saying," she said, shrugging as she got to her feet

"I'm still waiting," Zoe said. "Make it good."

"You're not going to believe me."

"_Try_ me."

A small smile suddenly hovered on his lips. "I'm immortal?" he said, quirking an eyebrow.

Zoe blinked, then smiled grimly. "Try again."

**TBC**

**/lj-cut **


	9. Chapter 9

The winged insect was small and delicate, and fluttered from one wizened blade of grass to the next. River wondered what he was looking for among the brown and dusty scrub; it didn't look very interesting. The insect had very pretty wings, which glowed like a rainbow when they hit the sun, so pretty. The Captain told her that there had been insects called fireflies back on Earth-that- was, whose bottoms glowed when they flew, that's why Firefly ships were called what they were. She wasn't too sure about that, she's never studied them in class. Maybe she'd ask the old man later…

River sighed; insects were nice, always silent and determined, no stray thoughts came from _their_ little brains. She dragged her eyes away from the flying insect and eyed Zoe and the old man. Being around people was always a bit puzzling, with their mouths saying one thing and their heads another. They'd been throwing words back and forth for _ages_ now, but they still hadn't got past the whole 'rising from the dead' thing. She though of interrupting, but the old man seemed to be enjoying himself…

"I _told_ you, I'm immortal!"

"Yeah, right, what do you take me for, some dirtside hick? You must have some kind of vest on…or something…"

"_Here,_ let me show you."

"Uh-uh, no sudden moves!"

"I just need to get to my knife—"

"Do I look like an idiot to you? I'm not letting you reach for a weapon!"

"Oh, for crying out loud…_listen_, you've got a rifle trained on me. Do I look stupid enough to bring a knife to a gunfight?"

River watched with amusement as she saw the struggle on Zoe's face. "What do you want with the knife?" she asked warily.

"I'm just going to do a little demonstration, prove to you I'm telling the truth."

"This better not be a trick, or I swear I'll riddle you so full of holes they'll need a dentist to identify you!"

"Don't worry, I'm not looking to be shot again. Dying is never fun."

Silently, River crept closer as Zoe reluctantly nodded her permission. Slowly, the old man took his knife from the sheath on his leg, grinning as he noticed Zoe raise an eyebrow. "Missed that one," he said mischievously. He was thinking mischievous thoughts too, naughty old man.

She watched as he pressed his lips together and dug into his palm with the blade. Blood welled up and started to seep through his fingers onto the ground. "Watch," he said, raising his palm so that Zoe could see the wound.

Fascinated, River watched as the wound slowly closed, little sparks of light flickering across the edges of the broken flesh. A moment later, the wound closed over, and he rubbed the palm against the ground to wipe away the blood. "It always works like that," he said simply. "I get wounded, I heal almost immediately. I die, I revive."

"Doesn't make you immortal," Zoe observed. "You can still grow old."

"Actually, no, I can't," he said quietly. And River drew back instinctively as she felt the darkness flicker inside him. He banished it away almost instantly, sending it back to corners of his mind, and River felt a swift pang of envy, wishing she could do the same.

"You don't age," Zoe said flatly.

"No," he said, shrugging as he put the knife back into its sheath. Zoe didn't protest, which River took as a good sign.

"That isn't possible," Zoe said, but the rifle barrel dipped to the ground.

"It shouldn't be, no, but there you have it," the old man said quietly.

"How old are you?"

"Old enough."

"That ain't an answer."

"He remembers Earth-that-was!" River piped up excitably, pleased that she could provide an answer for him. He threw her a dirty look, and she scowled back. "But you do!" she protested. "I can see it in your head. All the plants and the trees, and the water, and the animals…so many different kinds of animals…oh, and the whales! The whales were wonderful!"

The old man's face grew still. "Yes, they were," he agreed, smiling slowly.

"Whales," Zoe said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't believe I'm hearing this. Is Caruthers even your real name?"

River opened her mouth to answer but caught the glare on the old man's face. "It'll do for now," he said firmly, and River pulled a face but nodded reluctantly.

Zoe sighed. "I don't know what to do with you," she admitted lowly.

"You don't have to do anything," the old man answered. "Nothing has changed. I'm still just a paying passenger, just one that looks real good for his age."

"Ain't no time for jokes," Zoe muttered, but River could sense the amusement flitting through her mind. "What the _hell_ am I going to tell Mal?"

River wasn't sure Zoe meant to say that aloud, but the words were already said. The old man tensed, his face becoming pensive. "Do you have to tell him?" he asked.

"Of course I have to tell him," Zoe snapped. "He's my gorram captain!"

"I see," he drawled. "How do you think he's going to take it?"

"Not rightly sure," she said, sighing. "But I reckon the conversation will be loud."

"What about the others?" the old man asked warily, and River sensed the wheels turning in his mind. River looked up at Zoe pleadingly, begging her to say the right words.

"We'll deal with Mal first," she said grimly. "Then we'll see."

He nodded, and River felt his acceptance of the situation. She beamed at him happily as she sprung to her feet. "You're going to stay!" she announced.

The old man groaned, then laughed. "Looks like it," he said. "Can I stand up now?" For a moment, River was puzzled, then she realised the question hadn't been directed at her.

"Yeah," Zoe sighed wearily. "You might as well."

He got to his feet and dusted himself down, eyeing the blood in his shirt. "Guess I'll have to close my coat," he said tiredly, as he buttoned the heavy garment. "Knowing my luck, I'll probably die of heat exhaustion before we get to the ship…not a pleasant way to go."

Zoe eyed him. "How many times have you died?" she asked eventually.

"Lost count a long time ago," he said briefly. "I've led a _very _eventful life."

"Well, it ain't going to get any quieter anytime soon," Zoe said dryly.

And River frowned, knowing that Zoe spoke more truly than she knew. She tried to shut it out, but it just got louder and louder. "Can't stop the signal," she muttered.

"What was that, River?" Zoe asked gently.

River shrugged, she had tried to find the words to describe it before, but they just seemed to make people more confused. Even Simon had looked at her funny, and he always tried so hard to pretend he understood her. Which he didn't, she didn't understand herself most of the time. "Nothing," she told her. "We best be getting back, Mal is getting worried about us."

oo0o0o0o0oo

Cautiously, Zoe made sure Caruthers was never at her back as they descended the hill. She figured he knew what she was about, but he never broached the subject, content to walk ahead. She wished she was as easy with the situation. He was immortal - who the hell was _immortal_? It was like something out of one of those trashy fantasy novels Wash had been so fond of…_my name is Caruthers and I am immortal, I am centuries old, and I cannot be killed. Let me tell you about my adventures through time._

Zoe shook her head in bemusement, if she'd read it on the back of a paperback, she'd have dismissed it as drivel. Yet how could he deny the evidence of her own two eyes? "Mal is going to go ballistic," she said under her breath, and she caught the hitch in Caruthers stride as she spoke.

He kept walking though, and Zoe was glad of it, she needed the precious few moments she had, before they got to the ship, to collect her thoughts. The whole idea was preposterous but, now that she thought of it, it would explain a _lot._ His strange way of talking, the weird contradictions between his manner and his actions, that big, gorram antique sword. For all she knew, he probably forged it himself, back on Earth-that-was.

He was still wearing it; she could see the cloth pull against the harness as he moved down the hillside. Why he was so attached to it? As he said, there's no point bringing a knife to a gunfight…

"Why do you wear it?" she asked abruptly.

"Excuse me?" She could see the wariness in his eyes.

"The sword," she said, tapping the harness through the coat. "You never leave it behind."

"Habit, I suppose," he said lightly. "It was the weapon of choice, when I was young."

Zoe mentally added a few centuries to his age, even as she realised he wasn't telling her the whole truth. "What else?" she asked.

For a moment, he looked uncomfortable. "I just feel safer with it," he said eventually. "It basically boils down to that."

Which was the truth in a way, she sensed, but he was still leaving something out. She decided not to push the subject. It might all be immaterial, anyway. Mal might decide that he was too much of a liability, and then it'll be bye-bye Caruthers, one way or the other.

Lost in her own thoughts, Zoe fell silent as they reached level ground. She had told Caruthers that she would tell Mal first, and he seemed to accept that, but he was definitely less than pleased about the idea of the rest of the crew knowing. She could understand that, she supposed, but Serenity's crew were close, and it was hard to keep a secret for any length of time.

At last, Serenity's hull came into view, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Mal stood on the ramp, trying to look casual, but she guessed he'd probably stood there since he'd arrived back, clucking like an anxious hen as he waited for them. She hid a grin as she climbed the ramp. "Captain," she said, coming to a halt.

Mal sighed. "This really is a d_a xiang bao zha shi de la du zi, _ain't it" he said.

"What went wrong?"

"The Alliance got here first," he said. "We've got a bounty on our heads, and Patience was looking to collect."

Zoe nodded, she'd figured as much. "Where to next?" she asked, frowning as Caruthers stepped up beside her.

"Don't rightly know," he admitted. "We're fresh out of options."

"Maybe you should head for the core," Caruthers suggested. "More bodies to hide amongst."

"Yeah, you would know all about that," Zoe said dryly.

Mal gave her a look. "Something you're not telling me, Zoe?"

Zoe resisted the urge to laugh. "That's one way of putting it," she said. "Truth be told, I reckon it's such a crazy story, you probably won't believe me no matter how I say it."

Caruthers sighed, his eyes glancing into the hold. "Perhaps we could do this somewhere else?" he asked.

"And why should I do that?" Mal asked, frowning as he crossed his arms.

"Better do as he asks, Mal," Zoe said lowly "You won't want an audience for this."

Mal's lips flattened into a straight line, but he nodded. "The Bridge," he said, turning on his heels. "And this better be good."

oo0o0o0oo

Methos was beginning to feel rather annoyed. He was tired, he was hot, and he'd just been shot in the chest. He definitely wasn't in the mood for explaining his immortality to a man whose picture is probably plastered under the word 'stubborn' in the dictionary.

It really wasn't his day.

He noticed River out of the corner of his eye, trailing behind them. She had been uncommonly silent on the way back. But, then again, maybe she'd already said enough back on the hillside.

Serenity was quiet, and nobody came to greet them as they traipsed through the ship. He wondered where the crew had disappeared to, but guessed that it wasn't the time to ask.

The Bridge was empty when they arrived, and River quickly settled into the pilot's seat as the Captain turned to glare at him. "Spit it out," he said flatly

For a moment, Methos' mind went blank as he tried to think of the right words. "Um, it's a long story, really…" he prevaricated.

"He's immortal!" River piped up, and Methos groaned.

"Will you please shut up!" he pleaded.

"Just trying to help," she muttered, pouting as she turned her attention to the pilot controls. "All your words are sticky, and Mal likes 'em clean."

"Okay," the Captain said sharply. "Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on here?"

"He got shot on the hill," Zoe said briefly. "Died almost instantly."

Disbelief shone on the Captains face as he ran his eyes up and down Methos very much alive body. "He looks gorram healthy for a dead man to me."

"I got better," Methos deadpanned, not able to resist.

The Captain glared at him, and then let loose a string of Chinese epitaphs that would make a Cheapside whore's ears burn. Eventually, however, he ran out of steam. "He for real?" he eventually asked, turning to Zoe.

"Near as I can make out," she admitted. "Open you coat, Caruthers."

Sighing, Methos did as he was told, and revealed the bloodstained shirt. "Are we done now? I'm not big on show and tell."

"Great, that's all we need, another gorram freak on the ship…no offence, River."

"None taken," she said simply. "I _am_ freaky.

"Anything else you got to tell me," the Captain demanded, turning his glare on him once more.

"That's pretty much—"

"Apparently, he doesn't age," Zoe interrupted. "And his wounds heal almost instantaneously."

Mal's face suddenly went thoughtful. "You know, that might come in handy," he drawled. "Maybe I won't throw you out the airlock after all."

Methos' ears perked up as he heard the crafty tone in his voice. "What do you have in mind?" he asked suspiciously.

The Captain grinned malignly. "Never you mind," he said, and Methos felt a moment of misgiving. If there was one thing he had learned, over the last few days, it was that Malcolm Reynolds had a real mean streak to him if the need arose.

"You know, you're taking this a lot better than I thought," he said quietly.

"Yeah, well, give it time," the Captain said, smirking. "I might change my mind."

"Captain," River said, her voice suddenly urgent. "Company."

Mal's head snapped round as he looked at the ships censors. "How many?" he asked.

"One, but it's coming in fast."

"Alliance." Zoe observed. "No other ship could make entry that fast."

"River," Mal said tersely. "Get us out of here – _now_!" TBC 


	10. Chapter 10

Methos would realise later that the humourless smile on the Captain's face should have tipped him off. Others would have panicked in his position, but Reynolds just sat there, silent as the grave, as the gravity pull pushed them back into their safety seats.

The engines whined, and the ship shuddered, but Serenity broke orbit just as the Alliance ship dropped into the atmosphere. They might pursue, but it would be a while before they could turn around.

"Jayne, get your gorram ass up here," the Captain said flatly into the intercom the moment the ship hit freefall. "And bring the Doc with you."

"Captain?" Zoe enquired softly, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"I've got a plan," he said, but he didn't seem too happy about it.

Methos bit down on the sarcastic remark that popped into his mind, and relaxed back into his chair as the Captain hurried up to the front of the bridge. In a way, the Alliance ship was a godsend, giving the Captain a bigger fish to fry than a mere Immortal sitting in their midst. He risked a glance at Zoe, his eyes taking in the pensive look on her face. "Something wrong?" he ventured.

Zoe sighed. "Everything's wrong," she murmured, half to herself.

A soft cry came from the pilot's seat and Methos looked back at River and the Captain, frowning as he noticed their heads bowed together. Reynolds expression was earnest and solemn as he spoke lowly to the young girl, his hand flitting to her shoulder as she paled and shrunk back into her seat. "What's he going to do?" Methos asked flatly.

"Something gorram crazy," Zoe said, her voice equally flat. "As usual."

"But you're still going to follow him?" Methos asked, although it really wasn't a question.

Zoe gave him a dark look. "He's my Captain, I'm his first mate. That's how it works," she said slowly, as if to a child, and Methos felt a brief spurt of irritation.

"Maybe you should give this a bit more thought—"

"And maybe you should mind your own gorram business," she snapped, standing abruptly. "You're a passenger, Caruthers; and not a very welcome one at that. This ain't none of your business!"

"Zoe, everything all right there?" the Captain asked warily as he stood.

"Just Dandy," Zoe snapped, before taking a deep breath. "It's fine," she said, in a quieter voice. "Just a difference in opinion, is all."

"Let me guess, we're still not gonna throw him out the airlock?" Jaynes voice interrupted

Methos frowned at him as he loomed in the doorway. "What is with you, and your obsession with spacing people," he asked in exasperation. "Is that really your answer to _every_ problem you come across in life?"

Jayne tilted his head as if giving the question some serious thought. "No," he said eventually. "Sometimes, I use Vera."

"Vera?" Methos echoed.

"His gun," Zoe said. Methos threw her a disbelieving look and she shrugged. "It's a very big gun," she offered.

"Damn right, it is," Jayne said, smiling widely. "Clears up all manner of problems."

"Yes, Jayne, we know," said Simon wearily as she shouldered past him, and into the bridge. "Why did you call me? Is somebody injured?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room.

"Relax Doc, everyone is in one piece," the Captain drawled. "I just wanted to talk."

Methos noticed that the Doctor didn't relax with the news. There was a tension between the men that had been obvious from the start, but it rarely showed in their faces.

"He wants to go back," River murmured, her hair falling like a curtain around her face as she curled her feet beneath her.

"Back where?" Simon asked softly.

"Back to the place you broke River out of," Reynolds said.

"Are you crazy," the doctor said, his voice rising. "The place is like a fortress!"

"Can't be_ that _hard. After all _you _got in," the Captain pointed out.

"Only because I used every last credit I had and called in every favour due," Simon yelled, rage showing in his face. "We barely got out the last time. I'm not putting River through that again!"

"Then give me another alternative, Doc," Reynolds said harshly. "Coz the way things are going, she'll be back in there soon, anyways. In case you haven't noticed, Serenity is being held together with spit and glue. We ain't got no money for repairs and no contacts to rely on – and even if we did, no dockyard in the system will take us. We're being hunted, boy; and, sooner or later, they're gonna catch us."

"There has to be another way," Simon said, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"We already did it the other way," Reynolds said. "And we lost our pilot in the process. Miranda wasn't enough, we need to blow the whole thing wide open, or they'll never leave us alone."

"They'll kill us," Zoe said slowly.

"They'll kill us anyway," the Captain said flatly. "At least, this way, it will be on our own terms."

"I can do it," River murmured.

"River, no," Simon protested. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do, Simon," she sighed. "I always knew I had to go back eventually."

Methos slumped back into his seat as it all suddenly clicked into place. "Oh Gods, Miranda, that was you," he groaned. "I should have known, another damned boy scout!"

"What the gorram hell is a boy scout?" Jayne asked, bemused.

"Something that usually comes with a Scottish accent," Methos muttered tiredly.

"What the gorram hell is a Scottish—"

"Jayne!" the Captain snapped.

"What?"

"Shut the gorram up!"

"Just askin', is all," Jayne muttered under his breath, before directing a thumb in Methos's direction. "What are we gonna do with him?"

The Captain threw Methos a speculative look. "That depends on him," he said. "What do you say, Caruthers? You willing to use your _special_ skills?"

Methos looked at him warily. "Depends on what you've got in mind," he said eventually.

"We're gonna need a body," Reynolds said flatly. "And it seems you fit the bill."

"Huh?" Jayne frowned, "I though we _weren't _gonna kill him." 

"I can't agree to that," Simon added. "I won't let you kill someone in cold blood."

"Don't worry," Reynolds said. "I have it on good authority,_ he'll get better._"

"Aaaah," Simon said slowly. "We're going to use the same trick as in the hospital."

A smile twisted on the Captains face. "Something like that," he agreed.

_And there it was,_ Methos thought, with a sinking heart. _Play along and he'll keep my secret, but if I don't… _"Fine, I'm in," he sighed, plastering a resigned look on his face. "How is this going to work?"

Zoe wasn't sure what was going on in Caruthers's head. Before the 'accident' on the hilltop, she may have run a good guess at it, but now… Zoe sighed, who knew what went on in the mind of someone who was supposedly centuries old? She sure the hell didn't, although she supposed River might have a clue.

Zoe looked at the young reader, coiled into her chair, and noted that her eyes were fixed on Caruthers, a small puzzled frown on her forehead. Maybe River didn't know, either. Which could mean a whole heap of trouble.

But he had agreed, and River hadn't said he was lying, so she supposed they'd have to take his word on it. "What's the plan?" she asked.

"Been checking around," Mal said briefly. "Seems the facility does a sideline in autopsy research; 'cept they like their corpses fresh."

"You've been thinking about this a while," Zoe observed.

. "Thinking about it, yeah," Mal said, shrugging. "Trouble was, all our faces are too well known, by now, so putting one of_ us_ under…"

"They'd sniff a rat immediately," Simon said, nodding.

"_Persona non gratis_," Jayne sniffed, and Zoe caught Caruthers hiding a smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Which is where Mr Caruthers comes in," Mal drawled. "He goes in the back door, so to speak, and opened the locks from the inside."

"Security is steep," Simon warned. "Having a man on the inside won't be enough; and how are we going to make sure the body gets delivered there."

"Ah, that part I've already figured out," Mal said. "We might not have any contacts left, but Inara still has a few."

"Inara knows about this?" Zoe asked sharply.

"We've discussed it," Mal said, looking slightly guilty. "After that mess on Persephone, I asked her to put out a few feelers, find out who their suppliers are."

"And she found them," Zoe said, making a mental note to give Mal hell later. Since the mess on Miranda, he'd been treading on eggshells around her; it was going to stop…_now_.

Mal nodded warily, no doubt catching her mood. "Yup," he said.

"Where?" Zoe asked abruptly, suspecting she wouldn't like the answer.

"Well, that's the tricky part," Mal admitted. "They're situated on Shihnon."

"A core world," Simon said flatly. "We'll never get near the place."

"We're not landing," Mal said. "We'll use one of the shuttles, easier to fluff the papers, and Inara is the only one of us left that can actually get on a core planet without being arrested on sight."

"The advantages of being a guild member," Simon murmured. "They can't arrest her without due cause."

"Oh, they'll dream up some reason eventually," Mal sighed. "But by that time she'll be off planet again." The 'I hope' went left unsaid.

"Once it goes down, they'll know it was her," Zoe said warily. "Not even the guild will be able to protect her."

"The guild can't really protect her now, no matter what it says on a piece of paper," Mal pointed out. "The operative didn't think twice about using her to get to us, I doubt anything's changed… she's in."

"Okay, let's say we manage to smuggle him in," Simon said grimly. "What happens then? He'll need pass codes and security keys to get to the airlock…and even if we_ do_ get those, what do we do then? Blow the place up?"

"Hell, I'm all for that!" Jayne said promptly.

"We're not blowing the place up," Mal said, exasperation showing his voice. "We're going after information. Best way to shut 'em up."

"Blackmail?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can you think of a better way to make them back off," Mal countered.

"I don't believe I'm saying this," Simon muttered. "But it just might work…if we can get in."

"Yeah," Mal sighed. "I'm still working on that. Which is why I called you up here… I was hoping you could tell me who _your_ connection was?"

"It didn't work like that," Simon admitted. "I never got a name, I just paid the money into an account, on Londinium, and the information and papers I needed turned up anonymously."

"Excuse me," Caruthers interrupted softly, his face carefully blank. "But we're going to Sihnon, right?"

"That's the plan," Mal said, looking at him in surprise. "Why?"

"I think I may have the answer to your problem," he said nonchalantly. "As it happens, an acquaintance of mine lives there, one who may be able to help yo…us."

"And does your acquaintance have a name attached?" Mal drawled, disbelief dripping from his words.

"Yes, but I doubt she'd thank me for telling you," he said, smirking. "Let's just say she specialises in getting into _very_ secure places."

"You're saying she's a thief," Zoe said flatly.

Caruthers's smirk widened into a sly grin. "The best," he agreed.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

Zoe tried to stand as casually as she could, a few steps behind Inara, but the armed immigration officer kept darting his eyes at her

"Is there a problem, officer?" Inara prompted gently, as he hummed and hawed over her documentation

"No problem, ma'am," he said, "Just checking a few things…"

Zoe repressed a sigh, and looked at Caruthers out of the corner of her eye. Dressed as he was, every inch the gentleman, he didn't look out of place by Inara's side. She, however, was another matter; the dress Inara had eventually picked out for her to wear made her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. Personally, she preferred a simpler style, but she was supposed to be a companion's maid, hence the elaborate sleeves and gold embroidery trailing up the high collar.

Why the gorram hell had she agreed to this? Oh yes, because there was no way in hell Mal was going to let Inara go dirtside with only Caruthers at her side.

Eventually, however, the emigration officer handed Inara back her papers, along with Caruthers's and gave Zoe a long look as he handed over hers. "How long will you be staying?" he asked; his attempt at nonchalance was laughable.

"That depends on whether the Guild has a placement for me here," Inara said, letting her dimples show as she smiled. "If you'll excuse us."

And that was that, they were out of the customs area and walking through the doors. Zoe squinted against the blazing sun as they made their way to the taxi queue and sighed. "I think they recognised me," she said. "He wasn't at all fooled by my indenture papers."

"I got the same feeling," Inara said. "I've no doubt he's already on a com channel, briefing them on our arrival."

"Look, don't touch," Caruthers said lightly. "Who ever sent your descriptions down the line wanted to make gorram sure that nobody else talked to you first."

"The Guild house will most probably be their first port of call," Inara said. "By the time they start looking for other possible locations, we should be long gone."

"They'll be watching the shuttle," Zoe said flatly. "And they're probably already combing orbit for Serenity.

Inara sighed, as she raised her hand to garner the attention of a skycar cab. "I'm suddenly glad we used the other shuttle, and not mine, to land" she said, as one descended.

"As long as River can keep the other shuttle off the radar, your escape route should hold," Caruthers muttered.

Inara smiled as the cab driver jumped out and held the door open for them. ""We thought it worth the risk," she said, throwing a sly look at Caruthers. "Although why you went along with it…?"

Zoe resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Caruthers smiled noncommittally. "Fahng sheen," he said. "I have my reasons."

_Yes, I'll just bet you do, _Zoe thought glumly as she slid into the seat opposite him, and eyed him suspiciously. She was still having trouble believing what she'd seen on that hilltop on Whitefall. The way he looked at her, when his eyes opened; that curious mixture of weariness and amusement, and the darkness running beneath it….

Caruthers caught her eye and smirked, as if he knew what she was thinking, and Zoe repressed a shudder as she looked straight back. "Something you wanted to say?" she asked, unable to keep the challenge out of her voice.

"Gods forbid," he drawled, a strange coolness to his voice, and Zoe wondered how could they have been so taken in, how could they have though he was _normal? _

Inara threw them both calculating look. "Perhaps you two could leave this to another time?" she asked dryly, as the driver got into his seat. "So, where are we going, Mr Caruthers?"

Caruthers reeled out an address the cab driver, and Zoe glanced at Inara as she heard her take a long breath of surprise. "Something wrong?" she asked, under her breath.

"Mr Caruthers's friend must be very good," Inara murmured back. "That's one of the wealthiest districts on the planet." Caruthers just smiled smugly as he slouched and threw his arm over the back of the empty seat beside him, and Zoe wondered, as the skycar lifted into the air, how much was an act, and who was the real person beneath it.

The skycar flitted over the city, and Zoe couldn't help but feel the unease rise within her. Trusting Caruthers was an act of desperation, and desperation didn't sit easily on Zoe's shoulders. She felt a pang for the old days, before they'd let Simon on board. Wen it had just been six of them, and Wash had been alive and laughing, hugging her fears and doubts away, making her feel human and full of hope. Something she thought she'd never feel again, after the war, and maybe she had been foolish to hope, because he was gone, after all…

"Zoe?" She felt Inara's hand squeeze hers, and looked up into her concerned eyes.

Zoe smiled wryly. "How much further?" she asked.

A small crease of a frown appeared on Inara's forehead, but she let it drop. "We're nearly there," she said, not letting go of her hand, and Zoe let her, because human contact felt so important at this moment.

_"We're not all going to make it," _Mal had said to her before they'd disembarked. _"I'm sorry, Zoe." _

_"Nothing to be sorry about, Mal," _she had answered. "_It isn't your fault…none of it was." _

And it wasn't, but Zoe knew he still blamed himself for Wash's death. She could see it in his eyes; it was the same look that had been there after Serenity. It was the reason she'd originally agreed to be his first mate; she'd been afraid he'd give into that death wish he nursed so closely. She'd lost too many friends, already, she couldn't afford to lose Mal. He was her rock, he kept her sane... they kept each other sane.

"We're here," Inara said softly, and Zoe looked out.

* * *

Methos, kept the smirk on his face, even as he grew grimmer inside. The look on Zoe's face said it all; much as she tried to hide it, she was expecting to die. He was surprised at the surge of protectiveness he felt. Serenity's first mate did not need protecting, unless it was from herself…or him, he concluded reluctantly, there was always that.

"Is your friend expecting us?" Inara asked, as the cab driver opened the door.

"Not as such, no," Methos said lightly. "But don't worry, she's always liked surprises." _But only when she's the one springing them, _he added wryly, in his mind, as he looked at the force fence that surrounded the skycar's landing pad. A servant was already hurrying towards the landing pad's gates, and Methos smiled slyly up at the security camera. _Hello, Amanda, aren't you pleased to see _me_ at your door? _

How long has it been since you've last met?" Inara enquired, the curiosity showing in her voice, as the skycar lifted into the sky once more.

"Oh, it just seems like yesterday," Methos drawled, ignoring Zoe's snort as he watched the servant touch type a code into the gate.

"I wish someone would tell me what's going on here," Inara sighed under her breath.

"That makes two of us," Zoe said dryly.

"Mr Michaels," the servant said, smiling widely as the gate slid open. "Ms Darieux is delighted by your impromptu visit!"

_I'll just bet she is, _Methos thought, with a flash of humour, as the servant stepped aside to let them through.

"Mr Michaels?" Zoe muttered the question under her breath, as she kept abreast with him.

"It was the name I was using when we last met," he said softly. "Now, just smile for the cameras, and pretend you don't have a homicidal bone in your body. Don't want her getting shy on us, do we?"

"I thought she was a friend of yours," she said, through gritted teeth, as she plastered a fake smile on her face.

"It's complicated," he said. "Bit like her, really."

Zoe shared a look with Inara, who raised an eyebrow. "An old lover of yours?" the Companion asked.

Methos couldn't help himself; he let out of bark of laughter. "Well, technically, yes, I suppose, but that's not why it's complicated," he admitted, pausing as he felt the familiar sensation of another Immortal's presence wash over him.

"Hello, James." Methos smiled as Amanda stepped onto the path and waved the servant away.

"Its Alex now," he told her, once the servant was out of earshot. "You're looking well; wealth agrees with you."

"Alex," Amanda mused, looking him up and down. "Doesn't suit you," she pronounced as she stepped forwards and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Nice to see you too, Amanda," he murmured into her ear. "It's still Amanda, isn't it?"

Amanda smiled and winked, as she sidestepped around him and took Inara's hand in hers. "Amanda Darieux," she purred. "I must say, I'm a bit surprised to see Alex travel in such auspicious company."

Inara laughed lightly, taking the compliment in her stride. "Inara Serra," she said. "And this is my friend, Zoe Washburne."

"Ms Washburne," said Amanda, grasping her hand. "So nice to meet Alex's friends, they're always so _interesting." _

Methos suppressed a groan. Oh yes, she was irritated… which reminded him. "Why are we meeting in the garden, Amanda?" he asked lightly, but his question was already answered by the sudden sensation of another immortal.

"Duncan, _darling, _" Amanda called out as a figure stepped out of the house. "Look who's come to visit – it's _Alex!" _

"And my day is complete," Methos muttered under his breath, wincing as Amanda poked him sharply in the ribs.

"Another friend?" Zoe murmured as Amanda went to intercept Duncan.

"Strangely enough, yes," Methos sighed.

"You don't seem that happy to see him," Inara observed.

"It's not that…" Methos paused, as Duncan threw him a half smile over Amanda's shoulder. "Let's just say that an extra complication has just been added to the complicated."

"Indeed," Inara said archly.

_Yes, indeed, _thought Methos grimly, as he wondered how on Earth he could convince Amanda to go along with his plan whilst keeping Mac in the dark; because the last thing he needed was the Highlander along for the ride, especially if things went as badly as he suspected…

_Admit it, old man; you're just a tiny bit afraid that Mac, given the choice between keeping you alive and doing the right thing, will leave you out to dry…_ Methos sighed, as he reluctantly approached the Highlander. Five centuries later and it was still the same old merry-go-round.

"Mac," he said.

"Alex," Duncan said, equally brief. "How about we cut to the chase? What the gorram _hell _have you been up to_?"_

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"So, have you visited Sihnon before? Amanda asked lightly as she poured the tea into delicate china cups.

"I was born here," Inara said. "Although it has been a number of years since I've visited."

"Ah, such a pity that your stay will be such a short one, then," Amanda said. "Sugar?"

"One, please."

Distractedly, Zoe tried to pay attention to the conversation, but her eyes didn't seem to be capable of pulling away from the more heated exchange that was taking place on the other side of the patio doors. Caruthers was waving his hands about, as MacLeod paced, his face animated and intense. It was like watching a totally different person.

Have Alex and Mr MacLeod known each other long?" she asked impulsively, as she watched MacLeod put his hands on his hips and glare as an unrepentant grin appeared on Caruthers's sharp features.

"Long enough," Amanda said, with a mischievous smile. "And you?"

Zoe blinked. "Excuse me?"

"How long have you known Alex?"

"Oh…not long," Zoe muttered. "And not very well, actually, he's a passenger on our ship."

"I see," Amanda drawled knowingly, and Zoe's eyes narrowed.

"And what about you, Amanda," Inara interjected smoothly. "Have you known Alex long?"

"For a while," Amanda admitted. "He's a very interesting character, is he not? Never a dull moment when he's around."

"Interesting," Inara said lightly. "He said something very similar about you."

"Did he, now," Amanda said, her gaze sharpening. "Isn't that a coincidence?"

"Isn't it?" Inara agreed, as she took another sip of her tea.

"You know, you never did say why you accompanied Alex here," Amanda said, the question left unspoken.

"Oh, I think its best we wait until Alex joins us before we discuss that, don't you?"

Amanda laughed humourlessly. "Then you truly don't know Alex very well, do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zoe asked sharply.

"Oh, nothing," Amanda said dismissively. It's just Alex usually prefers to keep his cards close to his chest. In my experience, one should not listen to what he says, but what he doesn't…more tea?"

Zoe frowned as Amanda took her silence for assent and poured more tea into her cup; had that been a threat or a warning? She exchanged a look with Inara, who gave an almost imperceptible shrug.

"If I may ask," Amanda said, turning her attention once more to Inara. "Why is a companion, especially one so obviously well trained as yourself, taking passage on a border world cargo ship?"

The hairs on the back of Zoe's neck went up. Neither of them had mentioned what kind of a ship they were travelling on, how on earth did she know – and why on gorram hell did she let _us _know she knew? The woman was not a fool; Zoe doubted she'd let the information slip by accident. Was she hoping that they'd let something slip themselves? Possibly.

Inara, however, was not so easily shaken. "You seem remarkably well informed, Amanda," she said smoothly. "However, my reasons are personal and are not something I discuss lightly."

Zoe risked another glance through the patio doors and frowned once more. The grin had left Caruthers's face, and had now been replaced with a worried scowl, as MacLeod spoke to him in a low urgent tone. She wished she could make out the words, but the glass doors posed too much of a sound barrier.

"Ah, yes, they seem to be winding up," Amanda said, her voice suddenly tense, as she rose to her feet. "Please_ do_ excuse me." Zoe watched warily as the woman glided quickly to the patio doors and slid them open.

_"Gods, Mac, you know as well as I that if the Alliance got wind of-"_

"Darlings!" 

The patio doors once more slid firmly shut, and Zoe let out a frustrated huff. "This is ridiculous," she said. "We have Alliance troops on our heels, and what are we doing? We're having high tea with a thief, while Caruthers is obviously working his own agenda. We should never have let him out of earshot, gorram knows what he saying to this MacLeod person!"

"Yes, indeed, but what choice do we have?" Inara said, as she delicately wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "This is his arena, not ours… and Amanda is a fascinating woman, don't you think? I suspect she's companion trained; it should be interesting to work with her."

"If she works with us, you mean," Zoe said flatly. "I'm not so sure this was a good idea."

Inara sighed. "What choice do we have? We need a thief," Inara said. "A _good _one," she added quickly, when she saw the expression on Zoe's face. "One that's intimately knowledgeably with high end security systems - and while Kaylee can be remarkably inventive, we can't expect her to circumvent a system as complex as the one we're about to attempt."

"How can we be sure that this Amanda person can do it?"

"Look around you, Zoe. We're sitting on Londinium regency chairs, and drinking earl grey tea out of old earth china. Something tells me she doesn't pay for this lifestyle by cutting purses. No, Caruthers was telling the truth, she's the real thing. It's what he's not saying that's bothering me. But I can say the same of you and Mal, can't I? What are you using to lean on him?"

Zoe tensed in her seat. She hated lying to Inara, but Mal had promised their silence in exchange for Caruthers's help. "I can't tell you, Inara," she said honestly. "It's part of the deal."

Inara nodded. "Well, at least you didn't try to spin me a tale, like Mal did," she said wryly. "The man is a terrible liar."

Zoe felt a grin spread across her face. "You don't know the half of it, I remember this one time on-"

"Time to leave."

Zoe started in her seat, and looked up to see Caruthers standing at the now open patio door. "Where are your friends?" she asked tersely, as she looked over his shoulder.

"Amanda is packing," he said shortly. "Come on."

"And your friend MacLeod?"

"He arranging our travel arrangements," he said impatiently.

"He's coming with us?" Inara said, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly, he's dropping us off at our rendezvous before… never mind, we need to leave. The Alliance know where we are."

"They do? How-"

"No time for questions," he said, as he strode back out into the garden, not even bothering to look over his shoulder to see if they were following.

The drawing room door burst open, and Zoe automatically reached to where her gun usually rested, as Amanda strode into the room, a small anti-grav cargo unit hovering at her heels. Zoe relaxed slightly, even as her eyes took in Amanda's transformation. Gone was the floating, silk dress and wrap, to be replaced by pants and a blouse, a long coat skirting her ankles. Her hair was now pulled back from her face into a neat ponytail and her boots clicked on the polished wooden floors. 

"Ready to go?" she said, her tone businesslike as she made for the patio door. "We don't have much time, I'm afraid, the house's security scanners picked up an Alliance cruiser's flight pattern overhead. They've launched two landing shuttles, and somehow I doubt they'll be carrying goodwill gifts."

Zoe blinked as she made out a now familiar outline in Amanda's coat as she brushed passed them. Good grief, did that mean what she thought it did? "My, my, what a big sword you're carrying," she drawled as she fell into step beside her.

A flash of humour crossed through Amanda's eyes. "Alex said you were sharp," she said. "I see he wasn't exaggerating."

"The Alliance shouldn't have caught us this quick," Inara said, as she kept pace with them.

Amanda nodded in agreement. "They were tipped off."

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "By who?"

"By someone who really should have known better," Amanda said tersely.

"By MacLeod?" Zoe asked, remembering the expression on his face when they'd arrived.

For a moment, an expression of genuine surprise crossed Amanda's face. "What? Oh, good grief, don't be ridiculous, why would you…" Amanda took a deep breath. "No, I suppose I can understand why you'd think that, but no, it wasn't Duncan. He and Alex go back a long way. They may squabble like a couple of eight year olds fighting over the last piece of candy, but they'd never betray each other."

The deep thrum of an engine caught Zoe's attention, and she raised an eyebrow as she saw the ship that was now squatting on the estate's landing pad. "That wasn't there when we arrived."

"Yes, well, I can hardly keep it out in plain sight, can I?" Amanda said impatiently. "It doesn't exactly pass the city's air traffic regulations."

"Yes, I can see that," Zoe drawled as her eyes passed over the ship's sleek design. "Must have set you back a pretty penny."

"Worth every credit," Amanda said, as they neared the ramp. "Especially at moments like this."

A sonic boom rattled through the sky and Zoe eyed the sky uneasily. "Guess we're not the only one's breaking the city traffic regs, today," she observed dryly.

"Oh well, I suppose I've lived too long on Sihnon, anyway," Amanda said wearily, as she threw a last glance over her shoulder at her home, and Zoe felt a brief moment of guilt. It seemed, of late, that anything Serenity touched turned to dust.

The sonic boom registered on the ship's sensors as Methos entered the bridge, and he quickly glanced at the readings before turning to Mac. "I still can't believe the idiot did that," he said. "I know the man can hold a grudge, but this is ridiculous."

"You haven't seen him over the last decade," Duncan murmured, as he ran through the engine's check system. "The war hit him hard."

"I don't see why," Methos snarled. "From what I remember, Wright was Alliance."

"Do you know why?" Duncan asked.

"I'm sure you're about to tell me."

"Word is he married; actually settled down for a while…then the war happened."

Methos closed his eyes. "No, don't bother finishing," he said. "I think I know where this is going."

Duncan nodded. "Wright hasn't been the same since," he said. "He's even begun to take heads again."

Methos's eyes snapped open. "Since when?" he demanded

"Took William's head six years back, and Ngumbi's about eighteen months ago."

"Bugger." It had been an unspoken agreement, among those of them that had left Earth, that the game would be left behind them. Oh, sure, there was the odd genuine disagreement that ended up with someone losing their head, but headhunting for the sake of headhunting?

With only forty of them risking the journey, the spectre of being the last one of their kind in the colony, living alone amongst mortals, wasn't exactly appealing, and they all knew that a return ticket wasn't on the agenda for some time to come. While certain kinds of technology had improved greatly over the last five centuries, FTL technology hadn't made the leaps and bounds that everyone had expected when they'd first made the trip.

"Nevertheless, I can't believe he supplied them with both yours and Amanda's locations," Methos muttered.

"There's no other way they could have known, Methos," Duncan said quietly. "You haven't exactly been sociable since your last identity change; there's no way Alliance intelligence could have deduced our connection without his help."

"Ai-yah. Tyen-ah!" Methos griped. "What else has the bloody man told them?"

"Nothing much, I suspect," Duncan said. "Or I have a funny feeling I would be strapped to an examination table by now."

"But how long before he does, Mac?" Methos asked quietly. "If we pull this off and get the Alliance off our tails, how long before he decides to take matter into his own hands…and don't tell me the Alliance wouldn't hunt us down in a heartbeat if they knew what we truly were. It doesn't matter what kind of dirt we dig up, the temptation would be too much… you should see what they did to that River girl. It isn't pretty."

"He'll have to be dealt with," Duncan said quietly.

Methos sighed. "Damn it, I always hoped it wouldn't come to this. That he'd calm down, at some point, and let the matter pass."

"You can't blame yourself for this, Methos. It was an accident. None of us could have known…"

Methos snorted. "Oh _please_."

"Oh yes, I forgot," Duncan mocked. "You haven't felt guilt since the eleventh century…pull the other one, old man, it's got bells on. If it wasn't for the fact you feel responsible for Susan's death, you'd have taken his head years ago, instead of avoiding him like the plague."

Methos shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Let's drop it, shall we?"

A sharp hiss came from the ship's COM system. "_ We're aboard_"

"Strap yourself in," Duncan said through the COM, as he took his own advice. "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

"_ Relax, this isn't the first time this ship has tangled with an Alliance shuttle. Keep our altitude low, and they won't be able to get a bead on us." _

Methos raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like Amanda has been keeping busy the last few years."

"The war really shook her," Duncan said, as he lifted the ship from the landing pad. "Reminded her too much of her time during World War II, and she's not too fond of the direction the Alliance government has been taking since. You saw her reaction to what happened to Miranda."

"She's afraid that this time the Reich may have won," Methos observed.

"Do you blame her?" Duncan asked.

"They're a bit heavy handed," Methos allowed. "But I don't think they've gone that far yet."

"Only a few minutes ago, you were worried that they were going to dissect you into tiny little pieces."

"To be fair, that's been a worry of mine since medicine has cracked the Human DNA strand," Methos muttered. "And they were a few so called 'free' democracies, back on Earth, who had a rather dubious track record with that sort of thing, too."

"But they didn't have the same stranglehold on the population as the Alliance," Duncan said lowly. "And they're already rewriting history. Have you seen any of the children's schoolbooks, lately? Forget the trash they've written about the great 'exodus', you should see what they're writing about the Unification war. Little steps, old man, little steps." The ships onboard computer beeped and Duncan made a face as he looked at it. "Speaking of which, we've just got a ticket."

Methos laughed. "I think that's the least of our problems, don't you?"

A smile snuck onto Duncan's face, but was quickly wiped off as the radar proximity alarm went off. "We've got company," he said grimly. 

"Oh, lovely," Methos sniped. "I forgot to ask, is this ship armed?"

"Let's try to keep the body count to a minimum, shall we?"

"Oh, believe me, that's _exactly_ what I have in mind." The ship dove, and Methos's eyes widened as the planet's surface suddenly came hurtling towards them. "What the gorram hell are you_ doing_?"

"Dropping altitude, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"There's a difference between dropping altitude and crash landing, you crazy Scot!"

"Nervous, old man?"

A hollow boom skittered along the hull, and Methos bit down on a curse as his eyes scanned the ship's system data. "Negligible damage, he said. "But we can't take too many more of those."

"Wasn't planning to," Duncan said, as the ship levelled off. "We're nearly the rendezvous point with your ship's shuttle."

"If we land, we're a sitting duck."

"I'm hoping we can lose them ahead."

"How-" The ship dived once more, this time into a shallow canyon and Methos studiously tried to avoid making any more smart remarks, just in case Mac decided that now would be a good time to plough the dirt.

"Remember that skimmer you passed in the loading bay?" Duncan eventually asked.

"Yes, why-" Methos blinked. "You _can't_ be serious!"

"You've got a better idea?"

"This is going to be like that time on Dayton's Moon again, isn't it?"

Duncan smirked. "It's either that or a parachute."

"Bloody crazy Highlander," Methos muttered, undoing his belt nonetheless. "I better not wake up in a morgue again, that's all I can say."

The good old days!" Duncan teased.

"When you used to get me killed on a nearly weekly basis. Ah yes, the memories," Methos sniped as stabbed the bridge's door controls.

."Methos!" Methos looked over his shoulder, only to see Duncan's sudden, serious expression. "See you on the flipside?"

Methos smiled wryly. "You know me, Mac, always the survivor."

**TBC**

_Ai-yah. Tyen-ah_: Merciless hell


	13. Chapter 13

"I do not believe I'm doing this," Methos ground out as he strapped himself into the skimmer's passenger seat.

"Relax, darling," Amanda carolled. "I've done this before. Wreaks havoc on the hair, but we should make contact with the ground in one piece."

"Should?" Methos echoed, before lowering his voice to a hiss. "In case you haven't noticed, Amanda, we've got two mortals strapped into the back seat. _Should _doesn't sound like very good odds to me."

"My, my," Amanda drawled under her breath. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were concerned for their safety – or should I say, _her_ safety?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Amanda smirked. "Don't be coy, I've seen the way you look at her. She's very pretty, in a 'I-can-shoot- you-dead- at-thirty-paces-and-look-good-doing-it' kind of way."

"Amanda," Methos said warningly, looking warily over his shoulder. Thankfully, Zoe didn't seem too interested in eavesdropping.

"Meeeethos," she drawled back.

"I told you—"

"Not to call me that in public," Amanda sighed. "Calm down, _Alex, I_ can hardly hear _myself _over the engines, I very much doubt _they_can."

"That's not the point," Methos said. "The point is—"

"The point is, you're trying to change the subject," she said. "I don't see what the problem is, Alex. She's pretty – beautiful, actually – seems fairly intelligent, and she actually knows what you are. No need for the white lies and pretence…she also seems a little interested, she keeps looking at you when she thinks you aren't watching—"

"Amanda, don't," Methos sighed.

Amanda arched an eyebrow. "Something I'm missing?" she asked.

"A dead husband, for one."

"Ah." Amanda paused. "Recently, I'm guessing."

"It's been only a few months."

Amanda winced. "You never pick the easy ones, do you?"

"I'm not picking _any—_"

"Picking who?"

Methos resisted the urge to jump in his chair as Inara suddenly appeared at his shoulder, and tried to think up a believable lie. "Uh…"

Amanda rescued him. "Not who, but what, darling," she said. "Alex here thinks I should pick a new planet to live on, but he won't give me any suggestions. Awful of him, isn't it?"

Inara raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "I can see how that can be annoying."

"Isn't it just?" Amanda said. "Perhaps you can make a few—

"Perhaps," Methos cut in. "Inara should strap herself in. It's going to be a bumpy ride." As if to prove his point, the bay's hull suddenly boomed with the sound of heavy fire.

"_Good to go?" _Duncan's voice crackled through his earpiece. "_This is as close as I can get., I'm afraid. If I don't gain orbit soon, I'll be hemmed in."_

Inara hastily fell back into her seat and buckled up. "Ready!" she called out.

Zoe nodded before yelling: "You're sure you can handle this, Amanda?"

"Oh, darling, I've been giving coppers the slip since before you were born!"

Inara frowned at her choice of words, but Zoe just smirked as they bay doors opened and the wind ripped through the cargo hold. Methos felt his stomach drop as he watched the ground whip past them. "Are you sure the skimmer can—"

"Wheee!" Amanda laughed as the skimmer shot forward, and Methos hastily pulled his eye shields into place. The skimmer shot through the air like a missile, and Methos barely resisted closing his eyes, as the ground loomed large in front of them.

Skimmers were designed to go over harsh terrain, to literally 'skim' the earth using their anti-grav units and a turbine engine for steering and speed. They usually rode high enough to avoid brush and rocky terrain. What they_didn't _do, as a rule, was drop from a very large height and hit that terrain running.

He really hoped that the skimmers anti-grav unit was up to the challenge

The skimmer's engines roared into life, and the anti-grav unit whined as it hit its programmed altitude level. The vehicle swerved, it's nose levelling, and Methos let out a breath of relief as the skimmer evened out about a meter and a half above the ground.

The engines of the ship above them roared, and Methos looked up as Mac pulled Amanda's ship up and headed for cloud cover. Two of the alliance ships gave pursuit, but the third one tore in their direction, keeping to just before the tree line.

"Damn it!" Amanda yelled, as she threaded her way through the tree trunks. "I'd hoped they wouldn't notice us. Zoe could you…?" She tossed her head in the direction of the light cannon attacked to the rear of the skimmer, and Zoe nodded as she unbuckled herself and swung herself into the firing seat.

The Alliance ship swung low, and Zoe fired, letting out a low exclamation of surprise as the cannon emitted a high-energy beam and scored the Alliance shuttles nose. Methos smiled wryly, trust Amanda to have a top of the line laser canon attached to a lowly skimmer. The bloody thing probably cost more than Serenity and it's entire contents – twice over.

Unfortunately, while the Alliance ship drew back, it obviously wasn't about to give up without a fight. Methos watched as the shuttle's firing bays opened. "Amanda!"

"I see it! Zoe, aim for the—"

But Zoe was already firing, aiming for the vulnerable, open firing doors. The Alliance ship rocked as one of the missile bays imploded, and Amanda let out a loud whoop.

"You're enjoying this way _too _much," Methos accused her as an unrepentant grin graced her face.

"Humour me, old man," she said. "I haven't had this much fun in years."

"Fun?" Inara said, her voice rising with disbelief.

The Alliance shuttled faltered, and Methos thought, for a moment, it was going to break pursuit. He should have known better.

"Amanda!" Zoe yelled "It's firing!"

Amanda swerved the skimmer, throttling the engine, and a missile whined by, narrowly missing them. The ground in front of them exploded into a plume of fire, and Amanda reversed the turbine, sending the skimmer directly into the Alliance shuttles path.

"She's crazy!" Inara yelled, fear showing in her dark eyes.

"You've just figured that out?" Methos shot back.

Zoe dove back into the rear seat as the shuttle loomed., then shot over their heads, its less flexible engines unable to match the skimmer's.

"Grab, my case!" Amanda yelled over her shoulder, "We're bailing before they come around for another pass."

Knowing it was useless to argue, Methos undid his straps as Amanda slowed the skimmer to a halt, the engine still running. He jumped out and helped Zoe pull the case from the skimmers small storage trunk, as Amanda stood up, one hand still on the skimmer's brakes as she threw one leg over the side. "Everybody ready?"

"They probably won't buy it," Zoe said, understanding what Amanda was about to do.

"But they'll still have to stop and check," Amanda said, with a grin.

Inara sighed as she dusted herself down. "This is _such_ a bad plan."

Amanda let go of the brake and threw herself over the side. The empty skimmer bolted ahead, it's course heading straight for a rocky outcrop.

"Let's move," Zoe said. "We don't want to be here, when they circle around.

Amanda rolled to her feet, and gave them a cocky grin as she activated the anti-grav on her case. "The rendezvous point with your shuttle is in the next valley," she said.

They headed for the cover of the trees as the skimmer hit the rock at full speed and turned into a fireball.

**ooooo0ooo000ooo0oooooo**

Zoe didn't know what to think. Just when she thinks she's got Caruthers figured out, he introduces her to his 'friends'. They were both obviously as gorram crazy as they come, but they _had_gone out of their way to help them and lose the alliance forces on their tails.

Something told her that she was missing a large piece of the puzzle. She'd already figured out Amanda was immortal, like Caruthers, and she suspected MacLeod was the same, but she felt that there was more to the tale.

"Penny for your thoughts," asked Inara as they climbed the hill.

"Just wonderin' where we go from here," Zoe prevaricated. Inara just nodded, not pushing the subject. Zoe cursed as she tripped over the hem of her skirt once more. What she wouldn't do for a pair of trousers…

"Nearly there," Amanda called over her shoulder, before turning back to Caruthers. A low, heated exchange of words passed between the two. Zoe watched them as they climbed, keeping their pace just ahead of hers and Inara's. The easy way the moved together told her that they knew each other well. Caruthers had said they'd been lovers, and it showed. .

A brief flare of something she'd rather not name rose within her, and she frowned, angry at herself. Wash was barely cold in the ground, she shouldn't be having thoughts like that – especially for a man like Caruthers, who wasn't fit for standing in Wash's shadow, never mind…

Well, never mind.

"Zoe, are you okay?"

Zoe turned to see the concern in her friend's eyes. "I'm fine, Inara," she sighed. "Just fine."

"Something wrong?" Zoe turned to see Caruthers looking back at her, his head tilted to the side as he examined her face.

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" she asked, embarrassment making the words come out grouchy.

Caruthers gave her that half shrug, half smile, he always did when he knew the answer and didn't want to share it - and the fact that she knew that, gave her pause.

Damn it, she _was_attracted to him. "I don't gorram believe it," she muttered, disgusted with herself.

"Believe what?" Inara asked, catching her words.

Zoe sighed. "Nothing important," she said abruptly, hitching up the skirts of her dress. "Let's keep moving."

Inara raised an eyebrow but picked up her pace, her dress no obstacle to her as she picked her way through the brush. Damn it, she knew she should have brought a change of clothes.

They circled around the top of the hill, not wanting to make themselves a target on the horizon line. The Alliance shuttle had landed beside the totalled skimmer, as Amanda had hoped, but that didn't mean they weren't scouring the terrain for movement.

Amanda put up her hand, signalling that they'd stop for a moment, and Zoe leaned against a tree as she scanned the incline they'd climbed. "By now, they're probably thinkin' of fanning out and sweeping the surrounding countryside," she said.

Amanda nodded as she opened her case. "Hopefully, we'll reach our destination before they catch up, but just in case… "She produced a dark, flat container and opened it, revealing two laser pistols. "I'm already armed," she said, as she handed Zoe one of them, and Alex the other. "That's all I have, I'm afraid," she said, smiling at Inara. "I packed with a heist in mind, not a guerrilla exercise in the hills."

"It's okay," Inara said. "Companion, remember? I'm allowed to carry arms within 'Shihnon's boroughs." She lifted her skirts, to reveal a holster on her ankle, and pulled her derringer free.

Amanda nodded and snapped her case closed. "Let's keep moving, then."

The circled the hilltop and descended into the next valley, keeping an ear out for signs of pursuit. The trees began to thin, and Zoe sped up her pace. "There's a small dip over there, hidden by a outcrop of rock," she said, pointing to the west.

They scrabbled across the valley, keeping their heads low in case someone was watching from above, but it looked like they were about to have their first bit of luck since they'd landed on this gorram planet, and they reached the outcrop safely

"You're late," River said sternly, her legs rocking back and forth as she sat in the shuttle's entrance, a piece of grass stuck between her teeth.

."We got unavoidably delayed," Alex said dryly.

River grinned as if he'd made a really funny joke, and bounced to her feet. "The Captain is gettin' real worried."

"You weren't supposed to break radio silence, girl," Alex said, exasperated.

"Who said I did?" she asked, smiling slyly.

Zoe shivered. Since Miranda, River had changed. She was a lot saner, for one thing, but there were moments like this when she wondered if the horrors of Miranda had not only driven her mad, but had also kept her from being, well… what they had hoped their experiments would turn her into.

Whatever_that _was.

Amanda, sensing the suddenly, uncomfortable edge in the air, stepped forward with a smile. "You must be River," she said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Amanda."

River gravely shook her hand, and tilted her head. "You're like him," she said, tossing her head in Caruthers's direction.

"Yes… I suppose I am," Amanda said, surprise tingeing her voice.

"Do you remember the whales, too?"

"Uh…"

"River, time to be moving," Zoe said, and River's intent gaze turned in her direction.

"And moving on," she said enigmatically, but she let Amanda's hand go and scampered into the shuttle.

"Welcome to he party," Caruthers said to Amanda. "I'd keep those naughty thoughts to a minimum, if I were you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Amanda said thoughtfully.

"That's the main problem," he complained, as he followed River into the shuttle.

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

The Shuttle lifted smoothly from the ground, and Methos eyed Amanda as she draped herself over Inara's cushions on the ground. "Very cosy," she said cheerfully.

"I find it conducive to creating the right atmosphere for my clients," Inara said, as she went to her dressing table and pulled out a small medical kit. "Now, I've got two doses, just in case Amanda needs to be inside the base too. Simon said—"

"I'm afraid we might need a slight change of plan," Amanda interrupted gently.

Zoe's looked over her shoulder at them, from her seat at the console, and glared suspiciously at him. "And why is that?" she asked.

Methos opened his mouth to speak, but Amanda put a restraining hand on his arm. "You're not the only ones who have enemies among the Alliance," she said softly. "You picked Alex for this mission because you were hoping they wouldn't recognise his face. That has changed. Not only do they have a description of him, but they also have a list of his acquaintances. Why do you think Duncan was at my place? They raided his ranch three days ago, killed six of his hands."

"He is a rancher?" Inara asked, surprised.

"_Was_ a rancher," Amanda said, sighing. "He may need a change of occupation for a while."

"They tried something similar with us," Zoe said softly. "They went after all our contacts, our friends…some good people died. You may want to contact your other friends, let them know what's coming."

"It's a short list," Methos said. "And Duncan spread the word, once he figured out what was going on."

Zoe's eyes lit up in understanding. "They're all like…have a similar background to you? That might not be good."

Methos let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "That's one way of putting it," he said.

"Why do I feel like I have half the story?" Inara asked. Amanda threw Methos an enquiring look, but he shook his head.

"Alex," Amanda said, exasperated. "This won't work if they don't know what they're getting themselves into."

"Damn it, Amanda," Methos said. "Why don't you just tap into the core news service and hand out an information bulletin? Chances are, this plan isn't going to work and we're all going to be caught and interrogated. The less people know, the more chance we'll both get out of this with our hea-skins attached!"

Inara raised an eyebrow. "I presume this has something to do with what Mal and Zoe agreed to keep secret," she said.

"They remember the whales, and the seas, and the blue, blue Earth," River said softly, from her seat. "They remember the cold, dark, grave ships, and the fear, and the stink, and seeing nothin' but more emptiness for year, upon year, and thinkin' they'd never find a place to shelter…"

"River, that's enough," Zoe said sharply. Pain and hurt flitted across River's face, but she kept silent as Inara sighed once more.

"It might be best if you told us, in your own words," she said, looking at Methos.

Methos let out a deep breath; he always hated this part. He decided to go for the direct method, never really worked for him before but there was always a first time... "I'm immortal," he said bluntly.

"I see." Inara glanced at Zoe, who sighed, but nodded. She sat down. "Well, I must admit, I didn't see that one coming. By immortal, do you mean…?"

"I don't age, I don't die, I heal any wound—"

"Well, except for the obvious one," Amanda murmured.

_"Amanda."_

"Ah, forget I said anything,"

Inara head swivelled towards to Amanda. "And you?" she asked. "You're the same?"

Amanda smiled. "Yes," she said. "Huh, this feels strange. I haven't actually voluntarily told someone what I am since… well, it's been quite a while."

"It must be fascinating," Inara said, as she warmed up to the idea. "The things you must have seen… if I may ask—"

"How old am I?" Amanda broke in, grinning.

Inara laughed. "I guess that's always the first question people ask," she said.

"Every. Single. Time," Methos ground out, letting out a small 'ooph' as Amanda poked him in the ribs.

"I was born in the late ninth century," she said. "865 AD – sorry, it's CE, nowadays, isn't it? Which makes me—"

"Over sixteen centuries old," Inara said hoarsely "I'd sit down, but I'm already sitting. Maybe I should lie down…"

"And what about Alex?" Methos turned to see the glint in Zoe's eyes.

"What about me?" he asked.

"How old are you? You never did tell us your age."

"What can I say? I'm shy that way."

River giggled, and Zoe and Methos glared at her. "_River!_"

"You still haven't answered Zoe's question," Inara pointed out softly.

"No, I haven't," he ground out. "And I'm not about to, either."

"_Alex._"

"Don't you 'Alex' _me_, Amanda," he snapped out. "They've no need to know how old I am, and it doesn't have any bearing on what is happening."

"I think that's my point," Amanda said softly. "They're mortal, Alex, it doesn't matter if they know."

"And if Wright gets his hands on them, what then?" Methos countered. "He doesn't know who I am, remember?"

"Cameron already wants you dead, old man, knowing your name isn't going to change anything!"

"Wright? Cameron?" Zoe asked tersely.

Amanda sighed. "It's the same person," she explained. "Cameron Wright; he's the one who told the Alliance forces chasing you who Alex was, and where his friends would be."

"He's like you," Inara stated, and Amanda nodded.

"Why would the Alliance listen to him?" Zoe asked.

"He fought on their side during the war," Amanda said. "Got rather high up in the ranks too, before he retired and joined central government."

Methos frowned. "Then what was he doing on Persephone?" he asked.

"He was assigned there a few weeks back – Governor's aide."

"A powerful position," Inara said flatly. "And it seems he holds quite a grudge against you, Alex."

Methos sighed, a grudge didn't seem to cover it. "It's a long story."

"Which has little relevance to the problem at hand," Amanda added smoothly.

"I'd like to chance to decide that for myself," Zoe said harshly, and Methos looked at her, catching her eye. She looked away. "You know our secrets, it's only fair we know yours."

Methos hesitated, as he tried to find the right words. "He blames me for the death of wife," he said eventually.

"And is he right?" This time Zoe caught his eyes and held them.

Methos nodded reluctantly. "Yes, he's right," he said.

"But that isn't the whole story," Amanda chimed in. "He didn't do it on purpose—"

"It's pretty difficult to kill someone by accident," Zoe said, her voice hard.

"It happened on the ships," Methos said.

"The ships?" echoed Zoe.

"The generational ships. The _Enright_, to be exact."

**ooo0o0o0ooo**

**The Enright: 2108**

The huddled in the small, fetid cabin that Methos had managed to clear for privacy, and spoke in soft, whispering tones. All the cabins were bugged, and removing the bugs was illegal, punishable by five years in the brig, so Duncan had covered the vent hole, where it was installed. Their voices would be muffled, but not completely silenced, which is what set off the bug's internal alarm signal.

"Listen, it's the only way, Cam," Methos eventually said, when Duncan nodded the all-clear signal. "We can't let them execute her by lethal injection. You know the corpses are thrown directly into the incinerator afterwards. There's no way her body could survive that. She'll be ashes in seconds."

"I don't know, Ben," Cameron muttered doubtfully. "None of our kind have ever been spaced before; what if it goes wrong?"

"They only allow two forms of execution, Cam," Duncan said softly. "By lethal injection, or by the airlock; they're not going to commute the sentence, they haven't commuted one in nearly twenty years."

They all fell silent at that. They all knew why the death sentences had become so popular with the ship's law enforcers, although nobody admitted it aloud. Twenty years ago, they'd arrived at the solar system that was supposed to be the colony's new home, only to discover that the promised planet, within the 'green band' parameters needed to sustain life, was nowhere to be seen; just two gas giants, too far flung from the heat of the sun, and a small boiling mass practically crouching on the sun's corona, neither viable for terraforming.

They'd come too far to go back, so they'd kept going. But food, space and medical supplies were limited so…

"She doesn't deserve this," Cameron muttered. "All she took was one bottle of antibiotics, and it wasn't as if she wasn't as if she was stealing it for herself, or selling it on the black market!"

"I know, Cam," Duncan sighed. "But she knew the risks when she stole it, and they're even harsher on medical personnel, than the usual thief."

"Oh yes," Methos muttered disgustedly. "Gods forbid they actually waste good medicine on a fevered child, rather than one of the more 'productive' members of crew."

"Not helping, Ben," Duncan sighed.

Methos sighed. "No, you're right," he said. "No point hashing over what should have been. We'll just have to deal with the problem at hand: getting Susan out of this alive - did you get the AVA suit?"

Duncan nodded. "It took some doing, but one of the guys in hull maintenance owes me a favour," he said. "We'll have it for when we need it."

"And the hatch?"

"I've arranged for a disturbance to clear the guards at the right time," he said grimly.

Methos caught Cam's eyes. He'd never really liked the man, a bit too high strung for comfort, but Susan, his wife, was another matter. "You okay with this?"

"Don't have a choice, do I?" he said glumly.

And so, the plan was formed. Cameron would inform the authorities that Susan would prefer the vacuum of space to the needle, Methos would be waiting with a grappling hook on the hull, and Duncan would make sure that the shuttle to the _Washington_ had an empty seat waiting for one Sarah Miles, cleaning crew.

Susan couldn't stay on the_ Enright_, after this. She was too well known, and the _Washington _was famous for being the worst maintained ship in the fleet. Nobody got transferred there, unless they really pissed someone off, which cut down on the chances of someone recognising her.

The plan went off without a hitch. The ship's governor agreed to Cameron's request for death by vacuum, the hatch was deserted at the correct time, and the AVA suit was waiting for Methos in its tiny airlock.

He stood on the hull, his feet clamped onto the ship's battered surface, and held the grappling hook ready as he counted off the seconds. "_Three, two, one…_"

The atmosphere escaped in a harsh plume, and Methos's threw the grapple, feeling it catch, as Susan's form shot past. Her body turned, letting him see her face, and Methos's stomach turned cold as he realised something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

He'd seen people die in a vacuum before, but that had been due to a leak in a seal or a suit; a slow death. He never seen what a vacuum would do to a body if it exposed to space with no warning, no slow decompression, no way of escaping…

The quickening hit him hard and fast, ripping tears along his suit as it used the grappling line to home in on him. He lost consciousness in seconds, and would have lain there forever, his suit holding him to the hull, if Duncan hadn't found him.

**ooo0o0o0ooo**

"Explosive decompression," Zoe said finally, staring at him. "I've heard of it happening, but most airlocks release air slowly, to cut down on accidents."

"Not this airlock" Methos said lowly. "It was suppose to be a mercy, you see, so that they wouldn't see it coming."

"I didn't know it was so bad," Inara said shakily, and Zoe threw her a questioning look. "The generational ships, the Exodus, it all sounded so romantic in the books."

"That's the problem with history books," Amanda piped up. "They never mention the things the writers are ashamed of."

"What I don't get is what you said about the colony site," Zoe said, frowning as she studied their faces. "You're sayin' this solar system wasn't what they were aiming for? I've never heard that said before."

"They wanted people to forget," Amanda said. "In some ways, I can't blame them. They figured it out eventually, you see. Earth had sent them on a wild goose chase, knowing that, one way or another, we'd never come back."

"You say that like there were still people left on Earth to care," Inara observed. "I thought we'd all left."

"Not all, not by a long shot," Methos said.

"But, if that's true, where are they?" Zoe demanded. "Why haven't they ever found us?"

"Perhaps they wanted to forget too," Amanda sighed. "And even if they wanted to find us, where would they start looking? This solar system wasn't on any of charts. It was a damned miracle we found it."

Zoe didn't know what to think, it seemed that her life was full of one revelation after another, since she'd met Caruthers. Was there no end to his secrets?

"It's fascinating, really," Inara said, her voice thoughtful. "It makes one wonder what other historical inaccuracies there are in our databanks."

Zoe caught the look Alex and Amanda exchanged and frowned thoughtfully; from the look on their faces, quite a lot.

"Nearly there," River said quietly, and Zoe cursed under her breath as she realised she'd been sidetracked from their main problem. Namely, how to break into the facility without using Caruthers as the 'corpse'."

"_Da xiang bao zha shi de la du zi,_" Zoe cursed. "Another plan shot straight to hell."

Not necessarily," Amanda said archly.

Zoe gave her a level look. "I'm listening."

"Well, all this talk of hulls gave me an idea," she said. "How about we piggy back?"

"Already thought of that, they have life sensors on the shuttle's hull…oh." Zoe smiled slowly. "That might work."

Inara shifted in her seat. "I'm sorry, maybe I'm a bit slow but…"

"They're saying that if a dead body can't hitch a ride _inside_ the morgue shuttle, maybe it can hitch a ride _on_ it," Alex sighed.

"It'll work," Amanda insisted.

"You always say that, Amanda, right up to the moment we end up behind bars."

"Oh please, when did _that_ ever happen?"

"Londinium, 2402."

"Well, if you going to hold that one, tiny little misunderstanding against—"

"And Persephone, 2345; Shihnon, 2283; Vancouver, Canada, 2003; Havana, Cuba, 1958; London, England, 1604—"

"That one doesn't count!" Amanda said, outrage spreading across her face. "That was your fault, remember?"

Alex smirked. "I'll concede the point, although I still think you had it coming, considering what happened in Naples the century before."

"I knew it!" Amanda snorted, jumping to her feet. "I always suspected you broke that urn on purpose to wake the guards!"

Zoe burst out laughing, startling the two immortals into silence. "What did the two of you do? Try to steal from every major bank vault in history?"

"Well, some of us did," Alex drawled. "Others tried to take a hand at making a legal living, every now and again."

"Hey, I've been known to make an honest living…I…I had that club in Vancouver."

"Which didn't last more than a decade!"

"Well, what about the casino?"

"You mean the one you won in a game of cards, and burnt down within the year?"

"Well, well, you're one to talk, Mr Butch-and-Sundance-plus-one!"

Zoe watched, as the debate escalated into a full-scale argument, and grinned at Inara as she joined her side.

"So, want to take bets on who wins at being the most crooked of them all?" Inara murmured.

Zoe snorted. "As bad as each other, far as I can make out."

"You wouldn't think that they both can reckon their age in four digits, would you?"

"Kinda takes the awe out of it, doesn't it?"

"That's it, Amanda!" Alex snapped. "Discussion closed, there's no way I'm going to strap myself to that bloody hull while I'm dead."

"Actually, I think that might be physically impossible, dear," Amanda shot back. "The other way around, remember?"

_"Amanda." _

"Methos." 

The silence in the small shuttle was so absolute, you could hear a grasshopper breath.

"Oh, bugger," Amanda said.

River laughed. "Methos the mythos," she said, before adding. "We're here."

And the shuttle touched down.


	15. Chapter 15

Methos felt trapped. It was the only word that could describe the sensation running down his spine as Amanda silently examined the syringe Inara had placed in her hand.

"How does it work, exactly?" Amanda asked

"It slows the heart and brain functions, mimicking death," Inara said quietly. "_These_," she brought out another pair of syringes. "Are used to revive the person from the death coma, on the other side."

"And they were going to be administered by you?" Amanda asked.

Inara nodded. "I know the second in command at the research facility there. He once asked me to pass on a few suitable 'donors', when I still resided planetside. I refused at the time but, as you know, things have been difficult for Serenity of late. So he didn't seem very surprised when I contacted him again."

"News travels fast," Amanda said dryly. "And he believes you may have a cash flow problem,"

Inara's cheeks dimpled. "Most individuals know next to nothing about a Companion's life and habits, other than their job description. They forget our guild is, in fact, a _guild_. A Companion never runs short of funds; they are too well protected by the dues and contributions they've paid over the years... but he doesn't know that."

"So, how was it going to work?" Amanda asked. "He was just going to let you escort the body in?"

"I told him I wanted to make sure that the body wasn't ear marked for something too… macabre," she said. "He's suffering under the impression that I'm having second thoughts, and this trip was arranged to supposedly alleviate my fears and conscience."

"And you _agreed_to this, Methos?" Amanda looked over at Methos, not quite looking at him in his eyes. The painful silence, after her outburst, had been broken by River's insistence they were running out of time, but the rift between them was still not healed. "The drugs, I mean," she added softly, when he didn't answer.

"The first set of drugs, yes," he said reluctantly. "I'm hardly in need of the second; although Simon, obviously, didn't know this."

"How long do you think the drug cocktail will last, before your immune system kicks in?" Amanda asked, with a thoughtful frown

Methos sighed. "The doses are strong," he said. "Seven, maybe eight minutes, but not any longer."

Amanda threw him a look. "Not long enough," she said.

"Not for what you've planned, no," Methos agreed. "I was originally going to enter the facility in a body bag, remember? I just needed to be under long enough to fool the scanners at the two checkpoints. Now, however…"

"Any suggestions?" Amanda sat down, a careful distance from his seat; Methos quirked an eyebrow. _Now,_she showed caution?

"Nothing comes to mind." He said flatly. "If we double up the doses, the drug cocktail will just flat out kill me. Not exactly the best outcome."

"Why not?" Zoe asked. Methos looked at her, startled. She hadn't spoken to him since the argument. "Isn't that the whole point to you bein' the one in the body bag?" she continued on. "You bein' able to die and revive?"

Methos shrugged. "An immortal revives faster from a death experience, than if they've merely being drugged…. a quicker reset button, for the lack of a better word," he admitted.

The crease at the top of Zoe's nose, between her eyes, seemed to take up permanent residence as she stood against the bulkhead, weight flung onto one hip. Could be worse, Methos supposed ruefully, she could have her finger hovering over the trigger again. "You didn't mention this to the Captain," she said flatly.

"Do you thing he'd have believed me?" Methos shot back.

Something he couldn't quite discern passed through her eyes. "Probably not," she admitted. "I'm not sure I believe you_ now…Methos_." Methos winced at the sound of his own name, noting the tightening of her lips as he did so.

He'd been surprised she hadn't pressed him with questions when Amanda had spilled his name all over the shuttle; but maybe he was being overly paranoid. After all, as Amanda said, what would his true name mean to a mortal?

It didn't mean she wasn't annoyed with him, however. He wasn't the only one with trust issues.

"Seven point eight seconds," River said suddenly.

Zoe threw the girl a confused look. "Come again, River?"

"Seven point eight seconds," she said. "That's how long you'll have."

A look of understanding crossed Amanda's face, and Methos raised an eyebrow. "Care to share, Amanda,"

"It's the compromise they've built into the ship's hull sensors," she said. "They need them to be as sensitive as possibly, but the problem with_ that_is, every time a bird hits the shield, or an insect crawls along the hull, the alarm goes off."

Zoe nodded, "So they use a time delay instead," she murmured. "Better a few seconds delay in the alarm, than desensitising the system."

"If you deliver the injection straight into the artery in your neck, the effect should be pretty instantaneous," Amanda mused aloud. "Two consecutive injections should cover the journey between the supply station and the facility…yes, we could do it."

"You mean,_ I_could do it, don't you," Methos said dryly.

"Can, my dear, not could. Best to think positively, in this sort of situations," Amanda said, with unnecessary primness.

Methos leaned back on his cushion. "This better be good, Amanda," he warned. "I'm not risking my head for a badly thought out plan."

Amanda treated him to the full glow of her smile. "But of course, Methos," she drawled. "My plans are always the best."

Zoe rubbed her eyes and sighed wearily. "Please… don't say it."

Amanda looked momentarily nonplussed. "Don't say what?" she asked. "It's a good plan! Trust me, nothing can go wrong!"

Serenity's crewmembers groaned as one, and Methos smirked. "Yup, those would be the words she was talking about."

Amanda had the grace to look embarrassed, but still pushed on. "But it_ is_a good plan," she insisted.

"Mal isn't going to be amused by the change of arrangements," Inara observed.

"Mal ain't gonna know 'til we've gone ahead," Zoe said grimly. "I ain't breaking radio silence, no matter how bad it gets in there. We're not gonna put more crew at risk than we have to."

"Then we're agreed?" Amanda asked.

Methos sighed, pulling his hand through his hair as his mind went through his options; they were sadly limited. He thought about Mac, who was probably already busy tracking down Cam's whereabouts by now. Another immortal about to die, decreasing their already small numbers by one more... Well, better Cameron than him. "Lets hear the rest of the plan, first," he said eventually.

* * *

Zoe watched the play of emotions cross Caruther's – Methos's, she corrected herself – face, as Amanda laid out the details of her plan. It was a simple one, as heists go, a variation on Mal's idea. Get Methos inside the doors, have him to steal a security card and codes, and then open the doors from the inside. Once he'd done that, he'd let Amanda, and the rest of them, inside, and Amanda would then work her magic on the facility's system controls.

What wasn't so simple, though, was the expression on Methos's face as Amanda explained the plan. "You have any military experience?" Zoe asked abruptly, as she saw the rueful look on his face while Amanda told him accosting one of the guards was his only option.

She had never seen such pure amusement on his face before. "Which one?" he asked, grinning.

For a moment, Zoe didn't realise what he was saying. Then it hit her. She'd done the math earlier, keeping tabs on the dates he and Amanda were throwing around while they were arguing. She figured he was at least a thousand years old. Which military, indeed, she thought, he had so many to choose from. "Ha, ha," she said dryly. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

Methos nodded. "Don't worry, I know how to incapacitate a guard without raising an alarm, if that's what you're asking," he said. Zoe's eyes narrowed. Not what he seems, she sternly told herself, not harmless, not normal, not human…_Immortal_.

"_Aia_," she muttered, under her breath, and Inara threw her a puzzled look as she abruptly began to check her weaponry, seeking to distract herself. "Let's get this show on the road."

In one swift move, Methos stood, and headed towards the back of the shuttle, towards the AVA suits. His gait was different, Zoe realised; smooth, with none of the hesitation one usually notices in another's walk. The mask was off, and a thousand year old being was walking around in Inara's shuttle…two thousand year old beings, Zoe reminded herself, bemused. Funny, it wasn't as obvious with Amanda, it probably meant….

Zoe blinked.

It probably meant Methos was _older than Amanda_.

Well, _damn_.

Wash would have loved this.

"Zoe, are you okay?" Inara asked, as she rested a hand on her arm.

Zoe pushed down on the wave of grief that rode through her. "I'm just Dandy," she said flatly, as she watched Methos pull on the AVA suit. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Inara looked at her wryly. "When this is over, you and I are going to have a conversation," she said lightly.

"Inara, I don't need a talkin' to," Zoe said, with a sigh. "I just need to do my job, which is keepin' us all alive and breathing."

Inara threw her a troubled look, but nodded silently before Zoe went to join River at the helm. "How's it going?" she asked.

"Shuttle will be here any moment; he won't have long to get attached," River said dolefully. "The sensors go live once it leaves dirt."

"I know, River," Zoe said softly. "So does he."

"I'm worried," River burst out, and Zoe starred at her in surprise.

"What about?" she asked cautiously.

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she shook her head. "Dunno, just somethin' ain't right…" she said, adding, "Ain't been right in a long time, but it's a comin' now; the storm."

"River," Zoe said, careful to keep her voice low. "You know somethin'?" But River just shook her head again, and muttered something inaudible under her breath. Zoe sighed; she wished she had Mal's knack with the girl. Those two made an odd friendship but, somehow, it worked.

"It's okay, River," she eventually said, straightening as the girl curled up tightly into the pilot's chair. "It'll work out all right."

River's hand darted out, grabbing Zoe by the elbow. "Can't stop the signal, Zoe," she said urgently, her eyes roving towards the rear of the shuttle. "They hear it, and so does he. First the signal, _then_the storm."

"He's fitted in," Amanda called, from the back of the shuttle, and River started in her seat.

"Too late now," she muttered. "Time to go with the plan."

Zoe sighed. "Everyone know their part?" she called out.

"It's not exactly the most sophisticated of plans," Inara reminded her gently, then sighed as Zoe gave her a long look. "You and I shall distract the shuttle crew. I shall explain to them why I'm empty handed, saying I've been struck by a moment of conscience, and don't wish to go through with the deal. You are there as my bodyguard. Amanda, meanwhile, shall administer the first dose to Al…Methos, and magnetise his suit to the hull. He'll need to administer the second does himself, during the flight, if he wakes up…does that about cover it?"

Zoe pulled a face; Inara was right, it wasn't exactly the most sophisticated of plans, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and it was all they had to work with. "Let's do this," she said.


	16. Chapter 16

_Of all the crazy, harebrained… _

Methos stamped down on the fear that lurched inside him as he eyed the shuttle from his hiding spot. He'd never been truly comfortable in an AVA suit, his mind always went to that place that dwelled on death. Thankfully, the shuttle wasn't actually leaving the planet's atmosphere. He supposed his biggest fear was dying like Anna; at least the blade of the sword would be quick and clean.

With Cam on the rampage, the crew of the Firefly weren't the only ones who were in need of leverage. Methos needed to buy time. He didn't want the central government listening too closely to whatever tale he may choose to tell them, he wanted their minds firmly fixated on the crew of Serenity. At least, until Duncan has taken care of Cam.

Methos peered into the shadows of the open hanger bay. They had the shuttle parked out on the landing pad, to make it be easier to load – after all, they didn't exactly have to worry about stowaways, did they?

Well, until now.

_ "He's waiting for you." _

Methos resisted the urge to jump as his com came to life. "River, radio silence, remember?"

"They're not listening," River pronounced. "_But I am, and so is he. There's a storm coming, you know, with lightening and fire, and darkness; making my skin burn, my eyes hurt…"_

Methos resisted the urge to shiver. If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn she was describing a quickening. "River, cut it out, someone will hear you."

For a moment, she was quiet, then: "_Watch your head, old man." _The channel closed, and Methos cursed under his breath. That girl was beginning to get on his nerves.

The shuttle's pilot stepped out of the hanger, and Methos tensed as he watched Inara, Amanda and Zoe follow him out, waiting for the signal to move. Sure enough, the fingers on Amanda's left hand flickered, and Methos eased out of his hiding spot and out of the pilot's direct line of sight. He crept up on the shuttle as Inara and Amanda kept the pilot busy with whatever story they were spinning.

Oh yeah, this was crazy.

Flinging out a prayer to whatever Gods that were listening, Methos climbed the wing of the shuttle, wincing as he heard the clang of the suit against the hull. Thankfully, the shuttle's security guards hadn't arrived on the scene yet, or he doubted he would have got away with this. How Amanda lasted this long as a thief, he'd never figured out. Maybe she was only this crazy when it came to gambling with other people's lives. As it was, he heard Inara laugh, no doubt reducing the poor pilot to a drivelling heap, as well as going a long way to covering up the din he was making.

He reached the spot that Amanda had pointed out on the diagram she'd sketched out, tucked away near the tail to reduce the possibility of him burning up if the shuttle left the atmosphere…. Oh Gods, he was dead. Why had he let Amanda talk him into this?

But it was too late to change his mind, as Methos heard a duo of masculine voices join the pilot beside the shuttle. The pilot may have been easy to distract, but he doubted they would be.

He listened as they clambered aboard, and watched as Zoe stepped back from the shuttle. Hmm, interesting, the plan originally had been for Inara and Zoe to accompany the body to the facility and Inara had pointed out that _that_part of the plan needn't change She still could pretend to be checking out the facility, just in case she had future corpses to dispose of.

It seemed that something had changed in the last few minutes, however, and now it was Amanda accompanying Inara to the facility, not Zoe. Did Amanda sweet talk herself onto the shuttle, or had something more serious happened? He hated being out of the loop, especially when it was his own life on the line.

The shuttle doors shut, Methos hastily magnetised his feet to the hull as he fumbled for the end of the syringe plunger through the fabric of the suit's leg. Finding it, he clamped his other hand to the hull, and then pressed the plunger down. The drug ran through his veins, making his head feel heavy and woozy almost instantaneously.

"_I should have made Amanda do this, instead of me," _was his last realisation, before darkness overtook him.

* * *

Zoe's lips fell into a straight line as she watched the shuttle lift from the air, the dull feeling in the pit of her stomach increasing as it gained altitude. She wished she hadn't let Amanda manoeuvre her way onto the ship, although she understood the reasoning behind it. She was the thief, after all; it made sense for her to be nearby when Methos opened the doors from the other side.

She just didn't like the feeling that she was somehow deserting Inara's side. That was why she was there, wasn't it? To make sure nothing happened to Inara?"

"Damn it!" she muttered as she stalked back to the shuttle. It had been crazy to let Inara join her on this leg of the plan. It wasn't like they were going to let her into the facility proper, they were dropping off all the civilian passengers at the visitor's quarters on the surface, before going onward to landing pad that descended into the main facility.

Zoe tried to console herself with the thought that Inara wouldn't have been much safer in the shuttle with her by her side, but it wasn't working.

"_Zoe?" _

"River?"

"_Is it okay to talk now?" _

Zoe sighed. "Yeah, it's okay to talk now."

"_Good, coz we just got a message from the Cap'n. _"

"Good news or bad?"

There was a hesitation on the other end of the com. _ "Mal says the planet has been embargoed. Nobody in, nobody out. _"

"Guess they're real serious about finding us, then," Zoe said flatly.

_ "Don't worry, Zoe, I'll take care of us." _

Zoe smiled, despite herself. "I know you will, River. Did Mal say anything else?"

"_He said they're coming in, anyways, but they'll probably have something nasty on their tail. _"

"Nothing new, then," Zoe muttered. "Hold on, River, I've got you in sight."

"_See ya too, _" River said. Zoe saw the shuttle doors open in the distance and quickened her step. "_Zoe? _" River asked, her voice suddenly unsure. "_Do you reckon this plan is going to work? _"

"I don't know, honey, I sure gorram hope so. We can't afford to lose, not this time."

"_I could leave, you know. I'm not a child, anymore. I can take care of myself. _"

"You're part of the crew, River," Zoe said, as she gained the shuttle ramp. "You're not going anywhere."

River turned in her seat and stared at her intently as she entered the shuttle. "I don't know, Zoe," she said, sounding lost. "I really don't. It's all so cloudy. I used to be able to see in the dark, and now all I see is the storm."

"Maybe that's just the way it's supposed to be, River," Zoe said gently, before she changed the subject. "How about getting us in the air," she said. "Might be a good idea to be ready and waiting if – when - Methos gets the doors open."

River's mouth twisted into a rueful smile. "Oh, he'll get 'em open," she said. "Not so sure he'll close them behind himself, though."

Zoe shook her head as the engines sprung to life. "It seemed that River could never be anything other than cryptic, no matter what she saw.

_What the…_

For a moment, Methos didn't remember where he was. All he knew was the closeness, of the suit around him, the push of the wind, the solidity of the hull…

_The hull…_

He pulled a hand free from its magnetised lock and felt for the syringe. How many seconds did he have left? Would he do it in time? He felt the plunger through the stiff fabric and pressed down and then… blackness…

* * *

"Half way mark," River said abruptly, and Zoe looked at her, curious.

"What do you mean?"

River shrugged. "They didn't see him," she said, as if it answered her question.

And maybe it did, Zoe thought, as she figured out what River meant. The radar screen blipped, and she tensed in her seat. "It carrying an ID tag, River?" she asked.

"It's Serenity," River confirmed, and, for a moment, Zoe relaxed. Then another blip appeared on the screen. "Alliance ID," River said. "Coming in fast."

"Could be worse, I suppose," Zoe said dryly, as she sat up straight. "Could be Reavers."

River shivered. "Best not to be thinking that," she said, frowning at the console. "They're firing on Serenity."

"Move in, try and draw some of their fire. They can't shoot on both of us at the same time," Zoe ordered, her eyes narrowing as she read the data on the console.

The Ship's com registered an incoming signal, and Zoe stabbed the button. "_Zoe? _"

"Mal, what the gorram hell is going on?"

"_Picked up a tail on my way planetside; can't seem to shake it." _

"I've noticed," Zoe said, eyeing the two signals on the radar screen, "We're coming in."

"_Don't you dare, Zoe, we need someone outside those doors the moment Caruthers opens them. Stay on your flight path. We'll join you when we shake 'em. _"

"And if you can't?"

"_Leave the pessimism to me, Zoe, I've got enough for both of us_."

"Stay alive, Mal," Zoe murmured.

"_Always. _" The line went dead, and Zoe fell back into the seat as River readjusted their heading once more.

"It's alright, Zoe," she said. "Trouble ain't following us. It's lying in wait."

Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better," Zoe said.

River shrugged, but said nothing. Maybe, for once, she had nothing to say.


	17. Chapter 17

It was a slow awakening as the drugs seeped from Methos's system. He felt his heart stagger back to life, as his lungs took its first, painful gulp of air, and his nerve endings burned with a familiar ache, as his circulatory system once more stuttered and started. He resisted the urge to move as his body came back to life.

It was official. Drugs were bad for you, even if you were an Immortal.

Grimacing, he disengaged the magnetic locks on his suit, and undid the clasps of his helmet. Removing it, he raised his head carefully. The harsh chromatic lights of the landing bay threw the area into stark relief. He heard the shuttle door open beneath him, and ducked his head, as he heard Inara's voice waft through the bay.

"This is so kind of you, Frank," she said. "I know this must be an inconvenience for you, but I'm sure you understand how I wanted to be certain before I…committed myself to helping with your research."

"Just doing my job, ma'am," the shuttle pilot muttered. "And the Commander said I was to help you in any way I could."

"And how is dear Henry? It's been too long since we've spent time together."

"He's well, ma'am." A pause. "If you, and your servant, will come with me?"

He heard their footsteps echo across the deck, and he risked a glance. Inara and Amanda were crossing the cargo deck, along with the shuttle pilot, but the two security guards were nowhere to be seen, which probably meant they were in the shuttle below.

He tried to look on the bright side. They were security, which probably meant their passes were top grade. All he had to do was kill them before they raised an alarm, and the rest should be a cake walk.

But first he had to strip off the unwieldy space suit he was wearing, without alerting them to his presence. He bit back a sigh, and undid the seals that attacked his gloves to his suit. Uneasily, he sat up and released the seals and locks on his boots.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

Grimacing, Methos lay down, and fumbled with the seals in his suit as he heard boots clatter down the shuttle's ramp. The clasps gave way, with a loud pop, and the footsteps beneath him stopped abruptly.

"Who's there?" a voice called out

Methos resisted the urge to curse as he hastily felt inside the chest of his suit for the weapon Amanda had given him. At least a laser gun was silent, and unlikely to set off any sensor alarms.

His hand gripped gun's handle and he lay deathly still, listening for their next move. He couldn't hear them, but that didn't mean they weren't communicating. He waited for the telltale footfall; a moment passed, and then another.

There was the slide of a boot on a metal walkway, and Methos knew that if he didn't make his move soon, he would lose his advantage. He sat up, bolt upright and fired. The laser ripped though the security guard's chest and he let out a low, surprised gasp.

"What the gorram heck!"

The voice came from directly behind him, and Methos twisted, finding himself face to face with the other security, his gun already raised. This one had obviously learned how to walk softly.

"How the hell did you fool our sensors!" he said, before his eyes widened as he looked past Methos's shoulder and saw the body on the deck. His gun fired, hitting him square on the chest, and Methos heaved as the pain burned through him. He felt the edges of his consciousness white out as he fired; at point blank range, there was little chance of him missing. The laser gun cut a white hot line through the guard's chest, and the stench of burning flesh filled his senses as he blacked out. Thrice dead in less than an hour; it really wasn't his day.

* * *

River landed the shuttle neatly, less than a mile from the facility, and Zoe stood abruptly, strapping on a protective vest and throwing one to River. "Any signal yet?" she asked.

River silently shook her head, eyes down, as she pulled the vest over her head..

Zoe gave her a long look. "Are you okay, River?" she asked, carefully.

"Everything's a circle," she said, quietly. "I always knew I was coming back."

Zoe took a long breath. River was only now approaching the age Zoe had been when she joined the military. She had been eighteen years old, and thought she could take on the world, but nothing could have prepared her for her first fire fight. The memory was still visceral in her mind. The pounding beat in her chest, the taste of copper and fear in her mouth. The first life she took. The shame and terror, and the sheer relief she felt when she realised she'd survived it.

"This ain't my first fire fight," River said, looking up and catching her eyes. "I've taken a life before, Zoe. They carved the killer into me."

"I know that, River" Zoe said. "But that doesn't mean you can't be afraid."

River shrugged, her eyes straying to the pilot controls. "We should be going now." The shuttle doors began to rise, and River strapped on Amanda's laser pistol to her leg, before putting her shotgun into its holster on her back. River was unarmed, but Zoe knew better than to think she was defenceless.

The fact that Inara or Methos hadn't called in yet was niggling at her, however, and she looked at River. "Can you relay any incoming messages through the shuttle's COM unit?" she asked.

River threw her a look that spoke volumes. "Already done," she said, with a toss of her head, as she ran down the ramp. "I'm not an idiot, you know."

"No, but I'm thinking _I _may be," Zoe muttered. What on earth had possessed her to let Amanda go, instead of her? Oh yes, her skills at thievery and opening locked doors. They'll be hell to pay if she wasn't as good as Methos said he was.

Sighing, Zoe turned on the receiver in Amanda's pack - the one she'd said she'd need on - and followed River down the ramp.

* * *

Methos woke again with a spluttered gasp, and felt the weight of the security guard's body draped across his legs. He rolled it off, ignoring the sound of its impact on the deck. He looked down at the remains of his space suit, and pulled it off hurriedly. The bullet hole showed distinctly in his shirt, underneath, and he didn't have any shoes.

He crawled off the roof of the shuttle, glancing around before he rifled through the security guard's clothes until he found his pass card. His eyes travelled down until they reached the dead man's boots. He tried them on for size.

Close enough.

Methos looked around. No alarms were sounding, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a silent alert system. Just in case, however, he dragged the bodies into the shuttle, and crammed them into the storage compartment, grabbing the other corpse's card as he did so. The plan was already falling apart, but anything that kept them guessing, and bought them a few more minutes, was a good thing.

He tried the pass card on the door, and it opened smoothly. This could mean either they hadn't realised they had an intruder yet, or that the security system wasn't wired into the facilities lockdown.

There was a third option, of course, the one that meant he was walking into a trap.

He crouched down, pulled out his gun, and cautiously ducked his head out; the corridor was deserted. If the map Simon had shown them was correct, Amanda and Inara would be a floor up.

The elevator was empty, but wouldn't move without the pass card. Methos was beginning to see what Simon meant about the facility. Without the security protocols, it was almost impossible to move.

Another empty corridor greeted him as the elevator doors opened.. Where were all the guards? He had been expecting to find a well defended fortress, He was beginning to feel uneasy. As silently as he could, he moved down the corridor, and felt the first tendrils of Amanda's presence. He stopped in front of a door that had a plaque that said, appropriately enough, _Guest's Lounge_. For a black ops medical facility, it was _very_polite.

He slipped the card into the door, and it opened.

He saw Amanda's eyes widen warningly, over the shoulder of a uniformed man in front of her, and ducked his head out of the room just in time.

"That's strange," the man rumbled, as he approached the door. "There nobody there."

"Maybe it was a glitch in the system, Henry," Inara smoothly interjected.

"Our system never glitches," he said. "Maybe I should contact-oomph!" There was the sound of smashing glass and he heard a dead weight hit the floor. Methos ducked back into the room, and found Amanda going through the Commander's pockets, carefully avoiding the remains of a broken glass vase strewn across the carpeting.

"Alive?" he asked.

Amanda nodded. "Ho won't be up and about for a while, though. We still have time – and look what I found: a Commander's pass, with his six digit key code conveniently scrawled on the back, just in case he forgot it. How considerate of him," she drawled, waving the card.

Inara rose from the couch. "Zoe and River will be waiting for us to contact them," she pointed out. "We need to hurry."

"We need to get him out of his clothes," Amanda said. Methos arched an eyebrow at her, and she threw the pass card at him. "For you, you idiot, or did you think that bullet holed shirt was all the rage?"

Methos rolled his eyes, and bent down to help her. "We need to move fast. Someone is bound to suspect something is wrong soon."

"Tell me something I don't know," Amanda muttered, as she grabbed the commander's gun. "How many levels underground are we?"

Methos's mind flitted back to the controls in the elevator. "There's another three floors between us and the surface," he said, as he pulled on the uniform's tunic.

Amanda looked at him, up and down, and gave him a nod of approval. "You'll do," she said. "Now, all we have to do is tie him up."

Silently, Inara handed her scarf, and Amanda got to work as Methos risked a look at the hallway. "Everything is still quiet," he said.

"It won't be for long," Inara said, as she joined him at the door. "This level is mainly used for the low level stuff; processing staff and guests, and storage. It's the same with the floors between here and the surface. The actual surface entrance is another thing, however, as are the floors beneath us."

"Fun and games," Methos said grimly. "We'd better get started."

* * *

"Damn it, I knew it was going too easy," Zoe muttered, as she eyed the security at the entrance, at the bottom of the hill. There were four guards, but that was the least of their problems. She noted the telltale protrusions on the walls that meant there was a laser defence system.

River crouched down beside her. "They'll have the codes," she said, with a confidence Zoe didn't feel. She pulled her rifle out, and caught one of the guards within her sights. She figured she'd get two of them before they could alert anyone.

"Give me the laser gun," River said softly.

Zoe gave her a wary look. "It's okay, River, I can manage."

River shook her head, her hair falling into her eyes. "I'll be quick," she told Zoe.

Zoe studied River's face. She knew the girl was the better shot, but she remembered the blank look on River's face the last time she killed. It hurt her, deep inside, somewhere where nobody else could reach.

"It's alright, Zoe," River said solemnly. "I know what has to be done."

And that was when the doors opened, and their plan fell to pieces.


	18. Chapter 18

The lift chute whirred softly as it descended into the lower levels, and Methos shifted on his feet uncomfortably as his mind went over the discussion he'd had with Duncan before they'd left Amanda's. Distract, then evade, that what Mac had wanted them to do; not the most comprehensive of plans, especially as they had to distract an entire empire - but anything was preferable to_ him_taking Cam's head, and he suspected Mac sensed that.

Amanda's hand fell onto his arm, and he felt the pressure of her reassuring squeeze. He wished he felt half as confident of their plan as she did.

Inara cleared her throat. "How long before we-"

The lift shuddered to a halt, and Methos staggered to regain his balance as the main lights dimmed, and a pulsating red beam filled the lift. A klaxon screamed through the lift's COM, and Methos groaned. They had been rumbled.

Amanda held out her hand and gave Methos a pointed look. He pulled out the rolled cloth bag he'd stashed in his shirt before he'd latched onto the shuttle's hull and handed it to her. Quickly, she opened it and and pulled a tiny sensor pad from a cloth pocket and applied it to the keypad, before pulling out a flexi-tablet from from another slot. A diagnostic map of the keypad glowed on its screen.

"Standard configuration," Amanda muttered, "Back up node seems to be..." She looked down at the floor and began tapping her feet. A hollow sound echoed back. She fell to her knees, peering at the floor, and pulled out short stiletto knife from the roll, ramming it into the sliver thin gap in the floor. With an audible pop, the panel came free and, inside, there was a lever. She pulled it up and the lift doors slid open, revealing a glass panelled door.

"Gotta love redundancies," Amanda said cheerfully. "Use the laser gun, bullets won't breach it." Methos noticed her drop something into the cavity before slamming the panel back into place but they didn't have time for a discussion, so he pulled out the laser gun she'd given him instead. It melted away the glass, giving Amanda access to magnetised lock. A needle and a directed current shorted the panel and they found themselves in a deserted corridor – and not a moment too soon. Behind them, the elevator shot upwards again, obviously recalled to the surfaced – and probably a dozen guns.

"How far down are we?" Inara asked.

"Far enough," Amanda said grimly, as they hurried down the narrow hallway. "This level isn't supposed to even exist. They're on a different support system to the official part of the building – own ventilation, own stairwells. The data archive is one floor down...but that isn't the problem."

Methos nodded grimly, and Inara frowned as she looked from one to the other. "What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

"We don't have a way back," Methos said, as they reached a stairwell. He nodded at Amanda, who raised her gun as he quietly pushed open the door. She went first, followed by Inara, and he took the rear. They descended the stairs as quickly as they could, but their journey was eerily quiet.

"Where's all the security?" Inara hissed.

"At a guess, about seven levels above us," Amanda said. "We weren't supposed to get this far."

"It won't take them long to revise that assumption," Methos warned.

"Only one way in and one way out – the elevator shaft," Amanda said lightly. "By the time they get down here and realise what we're up to, we should be on the move again.

"We're going to die," Methos pronounced. "And wake up on an autopsy table."

"That's what I always liked about you, Methos," Amanda said lightly. "Your unwavering optimism-"

A figure appeared from one of the doorways and froze on the spot when she saw them. Her deer in headlights expression was obvious, even under the hot red of the alarm lights. Methos and Amanda eyed each other and then aimed their guns.

"Turn around and go back into the room you came from," Methos advised her steadily. "Don't come out until the klaxon stops or we'll be forced to use alternative means to keep you quiet – understood?"

Nodding furiously, she scurried into a room and shut the door, and Methos let out a breath of relief. He hadn't been lying to Mac when he said he'd like to keep the body count to a minimum.

"We're nearly there," Amanda said, darting down the corridor, and he and Inara followed. The archive was Spartan - the memory banks lining the walls almost completely silent. A small access control module graced the small table in the centre of the room, and Amanda busied herself prying at its holographic interface.

"Are you sure this is going to work? Methos asked lowly.

"This is me you're talking to, remember?" Amanda asked, as she pulled a small transceiver from her bag of tricks.. "Don't worry, getting the archive out of this building is the easy part – getting us out afterwards will be the real feat." With a very unladylike grunt, Amanda managed to slot the transceiver into the interface and it booted up. "There," she said, "It'll take a few minutes, but the data should be uploading into storage unit I left on the shuttle.

"Lets move," Methos said flatly.

"Move where?" Inara asked. "You said it yourself. We're cut off down here, and the elevator is a trap."

Amanda smiled mysteriously. "We're not going to use the lift, just the shaft," she said.

Methos looked at her. "And if we get bopped on the head with a passing lift, or sliced into pieces with the laser security system in the shaft?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Amanda said light. "It's not activated..."

Methos tilted his head. "Amanda...what did you do?"

Amanda grinned. "I left them a little gift in the elevator," she said. "I'll give you a hint... a three letter acronym, beginning with E, ending with P, with an M in the middle."

Methos's mind flitted back to the small object she'd left in the compartment in the lift. "That little thing was an EMP grenade?" he said, disbelievingly.

"A quasar pulse EMP grenade," Amanda corrected. "The gift that keeps on giving every twelve seconds. They'll be too scared to leave a light bulb on until they find it."

Methos shook his head in disbelief. "You could have warned us'" he said.

She grinned. "And miss that glorious expression on your face?" he asked. "oh, darling, I thought you knew me."

* * *

"This is not good, is it?" River said, in a small voice, as the troops spilled out of the hanger. They were dressed in full battle armour and on high alert. No doubt about it, they'd been rumbled. What she wouldn't do for one of Jayne's grenades right now. Zoe took a breath, and pulled her head below the horizon line, dragging River with her. She needed to come up with a plan B - _ fast._

River was staring at her with wide eyes and Zoe took a breath.

"I need you to get back to the shuttle as fast as you can," she said, straining to keeping her voice calm. "You need to grab the data archive and then send out a message on all bands. Say you've got the data and make it sound like we're about to broadcast every little dirty secret they have - and then you get the hell out of there, do you understand?"

River frowned. "They'll find the shuttle." she said.

"Can't be helped," Zoe said.

"Captain won't like it," River said unhappily.

"I know," Zoe said tersely. "Can you do it?"

She nodded reluctantly.

"Good," Zoe said quietly. "Get going!"

Silently, River slid down the incline and darted into the brush, and Zoe watched her go with a twinge of misgiving. She was praying that the all bands wave would send the troopers out looking for it, and also alert the Captain that they needed help. It was a wing and prayer, if ever she'd seen one, but she couldn't come up with anything better.

She poked her head up. The troopers were beginning to span out, prodding at the brush with their pulse rifles. They were obviously looking for something, although whether that something was _her_, she wasn't sure yet. She entertained the thought Inara and the others might have been captured, but that didn't sit right. What the hell were the security troops up to?

Getting to her feet, she moved along the ridge, keeping her head low until the sun was at her back. She dropped to her belly and crawled along until she breached the ridge top again and settled down to wait. It didn't take long, River must have run at breakneck speed to the shuttle. It was easy to spot the moment their earpieces came to life. Like a pack of hunter dogs, they all swivelled to look in the direction of the shuttle. She tensed, waiting for her opening,

She saw the squadron leader point and pump the air double time, and smirked as they began to trot in the direction of the shuttle. The ruse had worked even better than she'd hoped for. It was the one bit of luck they'd had all day. She started to run, keeping her head low and her footing steady. The last thing she needed right now was to stumble. Relief flooded through her when she reached the side of the hanger without being shot in the back.

She took a breath, and sidled along the wall, shotgun at the ready. She frowned at the dark gaping maw of the hanger beyond the doors. Why wasn't there any lighting? Ignoring her sense of unease, she slipped inside, backing herself into a corner as her eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings. She noticed a security LED light glowling gently over the the rear door but she couldn't see any ground personnel. She'd be fooling herself, though, if she thought there wasn't any surveillance.

So why hadn't they come looking for her? Was it some sort of trap? She shook the thought away. There was no gorram way she was going to leave Inara behind. They'd already lost too much. Steeling herself, she rounded the small shuttle transport skiff that crouched in the middle of the hanger. It was military and there was no heat coming from the engines. That meant it had been sitting there for quite some time. They'd been waiting for them.

Her mouth went dry as she reassessed the situation. They had known they were coming. How had they figured it out?

Had Methos sold them out?

Her eyes narrowed. That had better not be the case, or she would find a way to end him. Immortal or no.

She reached the door, frowning as she realised it had been manually propped open by what looked like a cinder block. she eyed the scrapes along the edge of the door. Had they actually pried open the door? Why would they...?

Her eyes widened as it all clicked into place. There was no power; no lights, no doors, no _surveillance_. She grinned, shaking her head as she carefully stepped over the cinder block. No wonder they were so eager to check out the shuttle's COM message. It was the only signal they could pick up. Silently, she moved down the empty corridor, her eyes struggling to see with the few LED lights that graced the doors along the hall. She could hear the dull thudding of fists on reinforced metal as the magnetically locked doors held firm. Unlike the soldiers, the civilians obviously didn't carry door jacks in their packs.

She passed an empty security cubicle and hesitated. Had they all poured outside when the lights went out? she spotted the elevator doors ahead, and headed for them. With the power out, Inara and the others wouldn't be able to use the actual elevator, they'd have to climb the shaft - that was why they were taking so long. She eyed the security keypad on the doors and wished she'd thought to bring some of Kaylee's tech with her.

A thought came to her and her eyes flitted back to the security cubicle. Grunts were grunts, paranoid no matter who paid them, which meant... She darted back to the cubicle and climbed into it, not bothering to be subtle as she pulled open the guard's locker and emptied the contents onto the floor. Extra ammo, back up gun and COMs, food rations, knife - door jack!

Smirking, she plugged the COMs unit into her ear and grabbed the gun and ammo as well as the jack. She rolled through the COMs unit signal bands until she picked up the security troops wave.

_"...Alpha Romeo, it's a wash. The signal is automated."_

"_It's a ruse - back to base!_"

Scowling, Zoe jammed the jack into the door and began racking the lever. The door slowly opened, squeaking its protest. She poked her head in when the gap was wide enough to take her shoulders - only to find a gun in her face, Inara's finger on the trigger.

"Zoe!' She said, lowering the weapon. "Thank heavens."

"We don't have much time," Zoe said, as she noted Methos and Amanda below her on the ladder. "I arranged a distraction, but they've just figured out it's a ruse. We need to move."

They didn't need to be told twice, and Zoe nodded in the direction of the hanger, before leading the way.

"Where's River?" Inara asked.

"Hopefully, on her way back here to rendezvous with us," Zoe said tersely. "We need to reassess our escape plan."

"And why is that?" came Methos's dry voice.

"Because I needed to give away our shuttle's location to clear the ground of security troops," she said sharply.

Methos gave her a long examining look, and Zoe felt herself tense. "Something we should know?" he asked eventually.

"They were waiting for us," Zoe said flatly. "There was whole troop of alliance soldiers waiting for us in that hanger, and they weren't just passing by."

Methos's eyes narrowed. "Interesting."

"That's one word for it," Zoe bit out.

"How about we leave this conversation until we're free and clear?" Amanda asked lightly. "We have enough on our plate, don't you think?"

"I don't think this is a conversation so much as an accusation, Amanda," Methos said, his eyes still on Zoe. She bristled, but kept her voice cool. "Do you blame me?"

Amanda sighed. "Tell you what, you can shoot us later but, right now, we need to _move_."

_"Hey!"_

Zoe jumped as River's head popped into view though the door from the hanger. "River, you need to stop doing that,' she said slowly.

"Sorry," she said, with a wide grin that said she wasn't sorry at all. "I was wondering if we could turn the EMP off now? I'm thinking we need to steal this skiff - and the soldiers are kind of nearly here." she said that last part in a low, conspiratorial tone, as if it were a special secret.

Amanda smirked as pulled out a flexi-screen pad, and tapped a few icons. Zoe heard the low whir of the air-conditioning coming online again and squared her shoulders as they ran into the hanger, taking up point position by the hanger doors as River clambered into the skiff.

"Be quick, River," she yelled, as she spotted a trooper cresting the hill. She noticed Methos had taken up position on the other side of the hanger door, while Amanda kept on eye on the door that led into the corridor. She hoped to hell they didn't end up with a two front fire fight.

The skiff's engines flared to life, and Zoe felt some of the dread lift off her chest.

Well, what do you know.

She may live to regret this after all.  
**  
**


End file.
